“Flowing from the emergency Congress of the Law Students Association of Nigeria, University of Calabar Chapter (LAWSAN-UCC), the General Congress which is the apogee and highest decision making body of the Association’s leadership as provided for in the provisions of section 12 of the LAWSAN UCC Constitution and the universal tight of the people to decide its leadership, which was called in lieu of the foregoing developments in the Association, the members of Congress have unanimously passed a Vote of No Confidence on the President of LAWSAN -UCC, Comr. Obi, Benedict Otu and therefore wish to state as follows:
1. That the general congress unanimously resolved that the issues before us, ipso facto qualifies as abuse of office, executive rascality, outright and utter disrespect and disregard for our constitutional provisions, and a crass manipulation of congressmen and members of the Association.
2. That, the president has repeatedly failed to call congressmen to address them on his plans and purposes of same and has acted without the collective resolution of the House or at least a notice to the congress.
3. That, the President as he then was misled, cajoled and unlawfully lured innocent LAWSANites, who are taxpayers of the Association and bonafide members thereof into a protest at the office of the Vice Chancellor on Monday, the 14th day of August, 2023. He grossly misrepresented the Association by making a litany of false statements against, thereby misleading the general public and breaching the trust placed on him by the Association just to pursue and achieve his personal gains and vendetta.
4. That, beyond his acts of gross misconduct, abuse of public office and disregard for the principles of the rule of law, the President, as he then was, in the first academic semester of the Faculty fraudulently obtained a sum of N2,000 from over 400 law students of the Year 1 A and B class respectively for the purpose of making available ID cards for them. Whereas, it could be recalled vividly that the Vice Chancellor and Management of the University had in their magnanimity and love for the Students, provided free ID cards for every student of the University, including members of our Association. Beyond this being a constitutional breach, it is also a heinous criminal offense contrary to the provisions of section 419 of the Criminal Code Act of Nigeria and the Association with the plethora of evidences at its disposal shall explore all legal means and channels to prosecute Mr. Benedict Otu.
5. That, Mr. Benedict Otu has serially been caught on record, threatening innocent members of the Association, compelling them to align with his fraudulent activities or face severe sanctions from him. Time and again, he has represented himself as the only Student in the University community who can instruct our Amiable Vice Chancellor to do his bidding and she will do same.
6. That, his actions has brought disrepute and trauma to innocent students of the Year One class who were cajoled into an unapproved protest by the Congress, and the foreign elements he galvanized to masquerade as Law Students, dressed in black and white.
The congress men are dissatisfied with his lame attempt to further mislead and threaten the students into submission as can be seen in his continued locking of the LAWSAN UCC official WhatsApp group to deny anyone a right to comment on the issue and his admittance in his own press statement that he deliberately misled them, the president therefore no longer enjoys the goodwill and support of our students and is therefore removed from Office as PRESIDENT of the Association and consequently suspended from the Association pending the conclusion of all investigation to be carried out by a committee to be set up by the Vice President.
7. That forthwith, the Vice President is directed to act in his stead as “Acting President” of the Association as prescribed by the constitution.
8. That, the general public is hereby informed that Comrade Benedict Otu does not speak for the Association forthwith and any transactions and dealings with him is at personal risk.
9. That, congressmen therefore puts a lien on the Association’s accounts and demand the former president to within 48 hours return all Association’s properties and documents in his possession and cease to parade himself as the President of the Association.”
SIGNED:
The General Congress of LAWSAN
