By Praise Chinecherem
The management of Tansian University, Oba has condemned what it calls the invasion of its campus located in Oba in Idemili South local government area of Anambra state by people it describes as “touts and miscreants.”
The university, through its public relations officer, Rev. Fr. (Dr) Justin Egbe, alleged that the said invasion was orchestrated by Chief Romanus Ezeonwuka in furtherance of an order by an Oba Magistrate’s court.
Egbe stated this in reacting to media reports which he said were “misleading” in saying that the institution had been sealed and shut down.
According to the reports, the order (leave of execution) was purported to have been obtained against the university following its failure to keep to terms of agreement (over the land on which the university was built) in a purported consent judgment reached between Ranent Industries Limited, via Chief Romanus A. Ezeonuwuka, and Tansian University’s founder, Msgr. Johnbosco Akam.
Egbe claimed that the purported consent judgment was fraudulently obtained and that its execution had been stayed at the Court of Appeal in Appeal No:CA/E/67/2019.
In his account of the dispute between the university and Ranent Industries Ltd, the university’s spokesman stated that Ezeonwuka mortgaged the land now in dispute with Oba Microfinance Bank before he surreptitiously sold same to Akam, the university’s unsuspecting founder, in 2002.
In his words, “While Msgr. Johnbosco Akam was developing the land, he was halted by officials of the Bank who said the property was under their mortgage and that they have (sic) perfected plans to auction same. Consequently, Msgr. Johnbosco Akam contacted Romanus A. Ezeonwuka immediately and he confirmed the mortgage.
“In the midst of the whole impasse, Chief
Romanus A. Ezeonwuka again sold the land to Asia and Allied Commerce Ltd., who paid off the loan sum. Msgr. Johnbosco Akam later purchased the land again from Asia and Allied Commerce Limited and took possession of the land till date,” he clarified.
Egbe further questioned why the management of Ranent Industries Limited, led by Ezeonwuka, “would resort to use of thugs to effect the execution of the purported court judgment, bearing in mind the legal implication of such illegality.
He went further, “Besides, the execution of the judgment has been stayed at the Court of Appeal where the matter is pending and no court can give the authority to execute any judgment on a pending appeal. The action taken by Romanus A. Ezeonwuka is an affront to the Court of Appeal who is still seized of the matter.”
Egbe condemned the violence/attack he said “was meted on some staff of the university, including the religious and seminarians who were not only physically assaulted by the invaders but also allegedly robbed of their valuable properties by the marauders.”
According to him, such brazen act of criminality was at complete variance with the Anambra state government’s ban on touts and touting activities in the state. He called for thorough investigation into the matter and prosecution of the criminals to serve as a deterrent to others.
He further assured parents and sponsors of students in the campus that there was no cause for alarm and that the management of the university had taken proper legal actions to stem any act of criminality and ensure the smooth running of the institution.
He also noted that resumption of academic activities was not disrupted in any form even as he appealed to the Anambra state government and relevant stakeholders “to take decisive steps against the invasion of its property” and the carting away of valuables belonging to staff and students of the institution.
“The University will not follow the path of illegality in protecting what belongs to it. Tansian University Oba Campus is still very much alive and active and remains committed to the goals of seeing to the good and upbringing of future leaders in the society,” he said.
