Port Harcourt – Prof. Lale Ndowa , the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), says the institution will remain non-partisan during the March 19 re-run legislative elections in Rivers.
Ndowa made the assertion on Monday in Port Harcourt while addressing no fewer than 300 staff shortlisted by the university to carry out election duties for INEC.
The vice chancellor was reacting to an allegation insinuating that the university`s list of staff submitted to INEC would favour one of the parties during the elections.
But Ndowa said the allegation was shocking, embarrassing and targeted at smearing the image of the university.
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He said Dr Otu Ekpeyong, a senior lecturer in the university, was given the task of compiling a list of ad-hoc staff requested by INEC.
“This is because Ekpeyong, a non-indigene and supposedly non-partisan individual, was given the responsibility going by his experience, competence, integrity and past engagements with INEC.
“I don’t see how we can produce 300 names of ad-hoc staff and some people in the list will supposedly not have party affiliation or at least sympathy for some parties.
“INEC did not ask the university to screen everybody nor gave the university mandate or working tools to screen individuals’ sympathy for a political party,’’ he said.
He argued that those who feel aggrieved at the submitted list should seek redress in a court of law.
Ndowa said that in spite of the university’s confidence in the ad-hoc staff, it would deal decisively with any anyone found to be involved in election malpractices.
He said that such individual might not only lose his job but would be prosecuted for “compromising the integrity of the university.”
The vice chancellor also said the university’s management would not withdraw the list. (NAN)