The lecturer has however denied the allegation, saying the students chose to meet him at the hotels and that nothing close to their allegations ever happened. The Rector of the Polytechnic, Venerable Ibe-Enwo Ogbonnia, confirmed the development, but claimed he was yet to receive formal complaints from the students, and hence he could not have acted.

She said:

I had my ND at the Federal College of Agriculture, Ishiagu in Abakalaiki. When I assumed school at the Unwana Polytechnic and I went to the Department for registration, I was directed to see the HOD in the office, and after necessary courtesies, he asked for my number which I gave.

“Ever since then, he kept calling me but I was always avoiding him. I was shocked when I checked my result in the course he took us in Second Semester in HND I, which was Distribution and Management Logistics, and I failed the course. But I didn’t go to him to complain, so I repeated the course this year.”

“Like my other colleagues, I suggested my project topic, but the HOD cancelled it. I went with another one the second time, he still cancelled it. He then advised me to write on my file that I was requesting him to help me with a project topic. And, I did just that. When I took my file with the request to him, the HOD then told me that he would speak with me on phone.

So, later that evening, on March 21, 2018, he called me on phone and said I should see him at P-Noble Hotel in Afikpo, some kilometres away from Unwana. Even though I was shocked, I summoned courage and went.

“When I got there, he asked me where I was coming from. I lied to him that I was coming from home and that I live with my parents. I said I was cooking for my mother that day. I lied so that he would know that my mother would be waiting for me to finish the cooking.

Then, while still there he sent the topic to me on my phone, which is; “Impact and Challenges of Self-Promotional-Based Strategies on Brands and Stores Patronages in Urban Areas.”

“He then told me that I failed his course in First Semester and I said yes. He said I caused it and that if I had complied I would not have failed. I said I was sorry. He said as the HOD he has the power to make the decision either to let me graduate or not.

He said he was giving me the last chance and that if I failed to give him chance this time, he would treat me like a stubborn fly. That was the exact statement he made. I said okay sir. Then he told me that there was a burial ceremony he wanted me to accompany him to at Ohofia in Abia State the following day. I told him it would be difficult because I didn’t know what my mother would say.

Then I lied to him that my mother was calling me and so I had to go. The following day, I sent him a message that I could not make it because my mother did not agree that I should go. He did not reply the message.”

“Before setting out to meet him, I told my elder sister who kept monitoring me. She initially said I should not go because we already got to know that the HOD was living at the resort. At that stage I didn’t want to involve my parents because I thought it was something I could handle by playing him and that he would forget it. So, he asked me to sit and I sat on the bed but near the door. He started to discuss with me, lit his cigarette and started smoking. On my failure to attend the burial ceremony with him, he said I was a bush girl and that why should I have told my mother that I would be accompanying a male lecturer to a party? He said why didn’t I lie to my parents. And, at point I replied I didn’t remember to lie. He said even if he was my mother would he have allowed me?

“Thereafter, he demanded for what I had written and I gave the file to him. He looked through and dropped on the bed. Then, he stood up and was moving close to me, so I stood up and started begging him to forgive him. Then he requested for my phone and that he wanted to delete his number from my phone. I think he thought I was recording him but when I gave him the phone he did not see anything recorded and dropped my phone on the bed. He held my hand and I began to cry and knelt down. He asked me to stand and started telling me how much he loved me and how he would make sure I become the envy of everyone in the school. I then told him I was engaged to my fiancé and told him his name – Ekenna Okeke, a non-academic staffer, who works in Administrative Section. He was angry and said the guy is a boy to him and that how could I ever thought of ending up with such a man that has nothing to offer me. I told him the guy had been trying for me since and that I don’t want to disappoint him. He then said even if anything should happen, the guy would not know anything. I said no, and that I could not lie to the guy.

“Then because I told my elder sister before coming, she started calling me and I said my mother was calling me. He then said I should touch him and I said no. Then he held me very tight and said I should not open my mouth. As soon as I wanted to cry out, he said everything was over and deleted his contact on my phone. He said I should never disturb him again and that henceforth, he would start treating me like an enemy.”

Meanwhile, on November 6 and 7 when the external supervisors visited the department to assess the graduating students’ projects, the HOD refused to present Janet for the exercise.

“He collected my GSM number and was always calling on the phone. One weekend he called me and said I should come and spend the weekend with him. He said did I know who was speaking and he introduced himself, and said I should be prepared to come to wherever he was to spend the weekend with him but I refused. So, since then he didn’t disturb me again.

“When I returned for my HND and he was already the HOD, he told me if I remembered that we had an unfinished business and that he believes that I am already mature enough now. Then he collected my number and each time he called he would ask me to meet him in his apartment and I would say okay, but I would not go.

“So, when we were grouped for project supervision, I found myself in his group and then came another round of troubles. While attending to others he would always chase me out of his office.

“When I discussed with one of my lecturers I was advised to honour his invitation so that we could even know what he wanted. So, sometime in September this year, I went to him at the Maria Island Resort. As soon as I sat down, he wanted to grab me, I stood up and said I was not well.”