RIGHT OF REPLY: DR. AGBAI JOHNSON SPEAKS. RE: COMPREHENSIVE DEFENCE AGAINST ALLEGATION OF EXTORTION OF ₦1,500,000, SUSPENSION FROM OFFICE AND CONSEQUENTIAL DEFAMATION OF MY CHARACTER
I write to formally and unequivocally respond to the allegation that I extorted the sum of ₦1,500,000 (One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) from students, purportedly as a condition for passing MBBS Examination.
I categorically deny the allegation in its entirety.
The allegation is not only false and seriously prejudicial to my professional standing; it has also subjected me to enormous reputational damage following the subsequent decision to suspend me and the publication of the matter on social media by Mr. Alex Onyia, where the circumstances surrounding the allegation and my suspension were circulated to the public.
I consider it necessary to place my position formally on record and to request that this matter be addressed strictly in accordance with the principles of fair hearing, natural justice, due process and objective investigation.
1. THE ALLEGATION OF ₦1,500,000 EXTORTION
At no time did I demand, collect, solicit, authorise, or personally benefit from ₦1,500,000 from students for marks in the MBBS Examination. Upto seven(7) lectures were involved in the examination and my contribution to the success or failure of the students in the said examination is little since I only set one theory question and had this question to score.
I therefore challenge the allegation to be established by credible and verifiable evidence.
If it is alleged that I collected this money, I respectfully request that the following particulars and evidence be produced:
The names of the students who allegedly made the payment;
The date, time and location of the alleged transaction;
The person to whom the money was allegedly paid.
Any messages, correspondence, recordings or other documentary evidence connecting me to the alleged transaction;
The witnesses upon whose testimony the allegation is founded; and
The specific evidence establishing that the money was demanded or collected by me for marks.
The fact that an allegation has been made cannot, by itself, constitute proof of the allegation.
2. CIRCUMSTANCES PRECEDING THE ALLEGATION
I am also deeply concerned about the circumstances in which this matter arose.
In my account of the events, I stated that I “danced into the gallery” of Professor Ndukwe, the Dean of the Faculty, where I met Dr. Hope Okechukwu, my predecessor as Head of Department.
The circumstances surrounding this encounter and the events that followed deserve careful, independent and impartial examination.
I do not make this statement to unjustly accuse any individual. Rather, I am requesting that the investigation should not examine only the allegation against me but should also examine how the allegation originated, the persons involved in its emergence, the circumstances in which the information was obtained, and whether there was any deliberate attempt to create or manufacture circumstances capable of implicating me.
If there was indeed a deliberate attempt to set me up, the truth can only emerge through an independent examination of all the surrounding facts and not through reliance on a predetermined narrative.
3. THE STATE GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATION PANEL
I acknowledge that, based on the allegation, the State Government constituted an investigation panel to investigate the matter.
I welcome a genuine investigation because I have nothing to hide.
However, the very fact that an investigation panel was constituted demonstrated that the matter was an allegation requiring investigation, and not necessarily an established finding of guilt.
I respectfully urge that the distinction between allegation, investigation and established misconduct be maintained throughout the process.
I am prepared to appear before the appropriate panel, provide documents, answer questions and identify witnesses capable of assisting the panel in arriving at the truth.
I equally request that the panel’s proceedings and eventual findings be allowed to speak for themselves.
4. MY SUSPENSION SHOULD NOT BE CONSTRUED AS PROOF OF GUILT
I understand that my suspension followed the allegation and the investigative process.
However, suspension from an administrative position should not be presented or understood as conclusive proof that I committed the alleged offence.
An administrative suspension, particularly where an investigation is ongoing or has not resulted in a final determination of guilt, should not be converted into a public declaration that the affected officer is guilty of extortion.
I therefore respectfully request that my suspension be treated within its proper administrative context and not as evidence establishing the truth of the allegation.
5. PUBLICATION OF THE MATTER ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Of particular concern to me is the subsequent publication of the matter on social media by Mr. Alex Onyia.
The publication has significantly expanded the audience exposed to the allegation and has consequently magnified the damage to my reputation, professional standing and personal integrity.
There is a fundamental difference between an institution conducting a confidential investigation into an allegation and an individual publishing allegations concerning a person’s alleged misconduct to a potentially unlimited social-media audience.
Where allegations that have not been finally established are presented to the public in a manner capable of making reasonable persons believe that the accused person is guilty, the resulting reputational damage can be substantial.
I therefore respectfully request that the University take note of the circumstances and timing of the publication and preserve any relevant records, correspondence or official communications relating to the disclosure of the matter.
6. DEFAMATION OF CHARACTER AND REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE
The allegation of extortion is one of a particularly grave nature. It carries an obvious implication of dishonesty, corruption and abuse of office.
I have spent years building my professional reputation as an academic and administrator. To publicly associate my name with the extortion of ₦1.5 million from students without establishing that allegation by credible evidence has caused serious injury to my reputation.
The social-media publication has the potential to reach colleagues, students, academic institutions, professional associates, friends, family members and members of the wider public.
I therefore reserve my right to pursue every lawful remedy available to me in respect of any publication that falsely presents me as having committed extortion or otherwise damages my character and professional reputation.
I respectfully emphasize that this position is not intended to obstruct any legitimate investigation by Government or the University. Rather, it is intended to protect my fundamental right to have my name and reputation treated fairly until the allegation is established or disproved through due process.
7. REQUEST FOR THE EVIDENCE AGAINST ME
For the avoidance of doubt, I respectfully request that I be furnished with the complete particulars of the allegation and the material evidence upon which it is based.
In particular, I request:
The written complaint or petition that initiated the matter;
The identities and statements of persons alleging that I collected the money;
Any documentary evidence of payment;
Any electronic communications relied upon;
Any audio or video evidence relied upon;
Any evidence connecting the alleged ₦1.5 million specifically to me;
Any report or preliminary finding already made concerning the allegation; and
The terms of reference of the State Government’s investigation panel, insofar as I am entitled to receive them.
I am confident that once the evidence is subjected to objective scrutiny, the truth will emerge.
8. MY DEMAND FOR FAIR HEARING
I respectfully insist that I be accorded a fair opportunity to defend myself before any final conclusion is reached concerning the allegation.
I should not be condemned by public opinion, social-media publications, hearsay or untested accusations.
My position is simple:
If I collected ₦1.5 million from students for MBBS exams, let the evidence establish it. If I did not, then my name and reputation should not be destroyed by an allegation that cannot be substantiated.
9. CONCLUSION AND REQUEST
In view of the foregoing, I respectfully request:
That the allegation against me be subjected to a thorough, impartial and transparent investigation;
That I be given access to the particulars and evidence upon which the allegation is founded;
That my constitutional and administrative right to fair hearing be fully respected;
That no unproven allegation be treated or publicly represented as an established fact;
That the circumstances surrounding the emergence of the allegation, including my encounter with Professor Ndukwe and Dr. Hope Okechukwu, be objectively examined;
That the circumstances surrounding the publication of the matter on social media by Mr. Alex Onyia be documented and investigated where appropriate;
That any official communication concerning the matter accurately distinguish between an allegation, an investigation and a final finding; and
That my reputation and professional standing be protected from unjustified or malicious publications.
I remain willing and ready to cooperate fully with the State Government investigation panel and all lawful institutional processes.
I have confidence that truth does not require manipulation, and justice does not require a predetermined conclusion.
I therefore respectfully urge the appropriate authorities to allow the evidence to speak for itself and to ensure that I am not convicted in the court of public opinion before the competent investigative authorities have reached their
Conclusion.
Should the allegation ultimately be found to be false or unsupported, I respectfully request that appropriate steps be taken to correct the record and restore my reputation.
I reserve all rights available to me under the law in respect of any false, malicious or defamatory publication concerning this matter.
Thank you.
Dr. Johnson Agbai
Dr Agbai Johnson Ukwa
HOD Anatomy department
ABIA State University Uturu
