UNICAL sacks HOD over ‘failure to present students for convocation’

Florence Obi, the vice-chancellor of the University of Calabar (UNICAL), has sacked Victor Ecoma, the head of the department of Fine and Applied Arts, for allegedly failing to present students for the school’s convocation ceremony. 

The UNICAL 36th convocation ceremony was held between March 18 to March 24 with about 8,415 graduands awarded various academic degrees.

At the event, 32 students were conferred with first class honours while 745 graduands received their masters’s degree certificates.

438 graduands bagged their doctorate degrees.

During the one-week ceremony, five projects in the institution including three pavilions and two hostels were also commissioned.

However, NAN reported on Monday that Gabriel Egbe, the varsity’s registrar, said Ecoma was suspended because he allegedly failed to present students of his department for the 36th convocation ceremony.

The school management described the HOD’s action as “an act of negligence of duty and a display of incompetence”.

The varsity board also appointed Echeta Chimezie, another professor in the department, to take over from Ecoma.

“Prof. Ecoma’s action is an act of negligence of duty and a display of incompetence,” the statement reads in part.

“He is directed to hand over all properties of the institution in his possession to Prof. Echeta Chimezie, who has been appointed to take over from him.”