*says he is after his property not ownership of the University
*accuses lawyer, some imposters of ruining Tansian University with selfish interest
From Ifeoma Ejiofor
Renowned businessman Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka (Ogilisi Igbo) who is the CEO of Rojenny Games Village has once more opened up on the prolonged crisis rocking Tansian University saying that he is after recovery of his multi million Naira property being falsely claimed by the late Pro chancellor of the University Monsignor Professor Johnbosco Akam and not in any way laying claim to the ownership of the University.
Recall that Chief Ezeonwuka and Monsignor Akam have been on the neck of each other with a prolonged litigation in court over some circumstances surrounding the establishment of the University.
Speaking to journalists shortly after he lead security agents to execute a court judgement mandating him to take over the property harboring Tansian University campus at Oba, Chief Ezeonwuka echoed that trouble started when the late Pro Chancellor of the University Monsignor Akam claimed that he singlehandedly established the University and consequently claiming the full ownership of the building property where the University campus is located at Oba.
The Rojenny boss explained that he gave out part of the building property he used to run an industry known as Ranent Industry located at Oba to form a co owner of Tansian University along with late Monsignor Akam but after the establishment of the University Professor Akam started to claim the sole owner of the University including being the owner of the building harboring the University campus at Oba which he brought as his own contribution to co own the University.
He narrated “What happened is that Monsignor Akam came to me with an idea to establish a University to be named after an iconic Catholic Priest Rev Fr Cyprain Iwene Tansi, I bought the idea and went into the deal. I then brought part of my building property where I use to run Ranent Industry which is worth over N2biillion at that point to serve as the take off Campus. I also brought Rojenny Games Village to form part of the take off campus but the Chairman of the National University Commission (NUC) Professor Julius Okogie said that I should drop Rojenny because according to him, Rojenny cannot be used to host international football matches anymore if it is used as University Campus so I withdraw Rojenny from the University deal.
He continued “I also brought in late Nze Ralph Obiora who invested money to be part of the ownership. And we all agreed to work together and own the University together. In the process Monsignor Akam was appointed to serve as Director of Academic, I was appointed as Director of Finance while Nze Obiora was appointed as Director of Labour. So these three names of Monsignor Akam, myself and Nze Obiora were forwarded to NUC as co owners of the University from the outset before NUC gave approval for the establishment of Tansian University.
“However, Ranent Industry was in encumbrance of a bank debt of N14 million, which is against the rule of the NUC. As I said, Ranent property is worth over N2 billion. Still, about a quarter of the area of the property was deposited to Oba Community Bank, which was retrieved by a refund of 14 million by Monsignor Akam, and it was agreed that the bank would endorse the document retrieved from the bank to convince the NUC that the University owns property before the license was granted.
“But not knowing that Monsignor Akam had an ulterior motive, I followed him wholeheartedly, believing that I was a co-owner of the University until one investigative journalist by the name of Theo Rays brought a report to me that Monsignor Akam is telling people that he is the sole owner of Tansian University as he singlehandedly established it.
He continued, “When Theo Rays now brought the report he published in Christian Outlook newspaper owned by the Catholic Diocese of Nnewi, I called Monsignor Akam to ask him about the claim he made before a journalist, and he denied such claim.
“I forwarded a copy of the newspaper to him and he opened up that I didn’t bring the Ranent Industry property to co -own Tansian University rather I voluntarily donated Ranent Industry property to him for the establishment of the University and he brought N14million to clear off Ranent Industry property from encumbrance of bank debt, therefore Ranent Industry property is a property of Tansian University without me as co-owner of Tansian University. He also said the money brought by Nze Obiora was a donation.
“That was how the litigation started. So I hired Nnamdi Ibegbu SAN and Monsignor Akam hired Onyechi Ikpeazu SAN and we began a legal battle in the High court presided over by Justice Onochie Anyachebelu who is now the current Chief Judge of Anambra State but along the line the NUC waded in and set up a committee headed by Professor Chinwe Obaji who was then the Minister of Education to look into the matter and the committee pleaded that we should give peace a chance. The Committee pleaded that I should allow Monsignor Akam to own the University and then let the University start to pay me rent as the owner of the property where the campus is located at Oba.
“I agree to allow Monsignor Akam to run the University as owner and my lawyer Nnamdi Ibegbu and Onyechi Ikoeazu prepared what is called Consent Judgement signed by Justice Anyachebelu as an Order stating that I should be paid honorarium annually for my property that is being used as the University campus. And Monsignor started paying the honorarium. But along the line Mosignor stopped paying me and I went back to court
“Fortunately, again, the court gave me the order to go and recover my property, but Monsignor Akam challenged the order at the high court with another lawyer, a SAN by the name Rev Fr Edwin Obiora, who is serving at the Catholic Diocese of Awka and the case was dismissed. Along the line, Monsignor Akam died, and Fr Obiora continued the litigation by asking the Appeal Court to give a stay of execution order. Still, there is no order from the Appeal Court restraining me from executing the order to sack Tansian University from the Oba campus to take over my property and recover my debt, and that is what I have done. I have regained my property, except the outstanding debt now amounts to #80 million naira.
The Igbo spiritual leader accused Rev Fr Obiora of dragging Tansian University to ruin by continuing to drag the University to Court for his selfish interest noting that the Priest turned lawyer is dragging the University to Court because of legal fees he receives by going to Court never minding that Court case is discouraging parents from sending their children to Tansian University.
He called on Catholic Bishop Ekwulobia Diocese Cardinal Peter Okpalaeke and the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese, Bishop Paulinus Ezeokafor, to call Fr Obiora to order and stop him from further escalating trouble with Tansian University to enable the school concentrate on academic works it is established to do, noting that crisis with Court case is hindering the progress of the University because parents cannot be comfortable enough to send their children to a University that is associated with crisis and Court case.