The Management of Ranent Industries Company Ltd Oba, Idemili South LGA, Anambra State stand by our Chairman Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka’s prior statement that Tansian University has been hijacked by unknown faces and hawks who in the vainglorious tacts to continually fornicate with lies, deception, misrepresented, extortions and distortion, presented a made-up instances that never occurred between himself and Msgr John Bosco Akam, in a vindictive distortion of the truth.
We vigorously defend our Chairman against these baseless accusations that he use thugs to execute court order. Rather in a desperate attempt to forcedly gain entrance into the sealed premises, one Mr Innocent Ukeh claiming to be working for the Bishop of Ekwulobia Dioces dressed in full military camouflage, invaded the University with armed criminals, shooting sporadically, save for timely intervention of the Nigeria Army, lives of innocent civilians would have been lost.
In exposing their ignorance, the order so executed was Anambra State High Court judgement not Magistrate Court as they have misrepresented.
Aware that Tansian University was a public University licensed by the Federal government, before the court order was executed, Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka wrote to the Ministry of Education notifying the Minister and the Executive Secretary of National Universities Commission of the several developments.
After the excecution of the judgement of the court, Chief Ezeonwuka again wrote to the Minister and NUC, prompting the Universities Commission to cancel their planned accreditation to the University.
We advise parents to be wary of those speaking on behalf of the University as they were never included in Msgr Akam’s Last Will, they are hawks who have come to hijack Tansian University from the original owners.
Gentlemen of the Press, I also wish to bring to your notice that Innocent Ukeh and cohorts forged C of O of Ranent Industries Company Ltd with Anambra State Stamps and signature of the Commissioner for Land on behalf of the State Governor. That is the height of desperation and criminality. Chief Ezeonwuka has written to Anambra State Government demanding fully investigation and prosecution.
Furthermore we wish to state as follows:
1. The large expanse of land which formed the temporary site of Tansian University Oba is the landed property belonging to Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, and same served as the industrial space where RANENT INDUSTRIES produced Toothpicks, Century Tanks, among other products for local and exports markets.
2. Some years back, Rev Monsignor Johnbosco Akam, a Catholic Priest (now deceased) sought to establish a University in the name and honour of Blessed Iwene Tansi. His major obstacle to the realization of that noble goal was land space, as he needed land that was big enough and well located to be able to attract the approval and secure the operating license from the National University Commission (NUC).
3. After several futile efforts, Monsignor Johnbosco Akam (hereinafter referred to as Monsignor Akam) providentially met Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka and communicated the idea of establishing a University and his frustrations with respect to securing the much-needed land space for the proposed University’s temporary/take-off site.
4. After much discussion, Chief Ezeonwuka offered their vast land and and physical structures thereon, located along Old Oba– Nnewi Road, Oba, Anambra State to Monsignor Akam for the hosting of the temporary/take off site of the University Project. However, the offer was on the terms and conditions, one which is that Chief Ezeonwuka will be a co-owner of the then proposed Tansian University. This fundamental term which was agreed upon by Monsignor Akam.
5. With this above understanding, Ranent got the license by NUC, thereby making Chief Ezeonwuka a senior stake holder in the University project. Apart from contributing his company lands and physical structures thereon, Chief Rommy A Ezeonwuka also reached out to his friends who made various contributions in cash and kind towards the University project.
6. However, when the agreement stating out those important and crucial terms with respect to the University ownership was prepared and signed by the parties concerned, Chief Rommy A Ezeonwuka did not get his own copy immediately as he was told that he would get his copy later. The said copy was never given to him despite his several demands for same.
7. When the University took off, after obtaining the necessary approvals and licence, Monsignor Akam started asserting sole ownership and proprietorship of the University. He also went as far as asserting purchase the entire company land and physical structures thereon.
8. After, several meetings and efforts at amicable settlement of the dispute did not yield any positive result, our clients initiated a lawsuit at the High Court of Anambra State sitting at Ogidi, in Suit No. HID/89/2008/864M/2018 against the Tansian University and Monsignor Akam. The suit was eventually settled amicably vide Terms of Settlement signed by all the parties in the suit, including Rev Monsignor Johnbosco Akam and Prof. Nduka Uraih, the then Vice Chancellor of Tansian University. In the said Terms of Settlement which was filed/adopted in court and subsequently entered as Consent Judgment of the Court in the case, it was duly acknowledged that ownership of the said landed property is vested on our Clients, and that University shall be paying annual “honorarium” of Ten Million Naira (N10,000,000) for occupying and using the land. The Consent Judgment was delivered by Justice O. M. Anyachebelu, who is now the present Chief Judge of Anambra State. The said Terms of Settlement and Consent Judgment entered by the Court are annexed herewith.
9. The parties observed the terms of settlement for several years, until recent years when the University stopped paying the said “honorarium”, and started accumulating debts in respect thereof. Despite repeated demands by our client, the University and Mosignor Akam, failed, refused and/or neglected to make further payments to our clients.
10. In the year 2018, Chief Ezeonwuka went back to Anambra State High Court siting at Ogidi, seeking enforcement of the Consent Judgment. At the same time, the University made attempt to have the court set vacate the Consent Judgment; however the application in that respect was dismissed by the court. The Order of Dismissal is also annexed herewith.
11. On the 11th day of February, 2019, the Court made an Order granting our clients prayers for enforcement of the Consent Judgment; to wit; granting leave our client to levy execution on the movable and immovable properties of Tansian University to recover the outstanding indebtedness and for an order directing Tansian University to vacate with immediate effect, our clients’ aforesaid landed property. A copy of the Court Order is also annexed herewith. The said order for enforcement of the Consent Judgment is still valid and subsisting, and the University has refused, neglected to vacate our Client’s property as directed by the Court.
12. Interestingly, Rev Monsignor Johnbosco Akam died in 2021, at the heat of COVID-19 pandemic. The Management of Tansian University has since been taken over by Barr Dr. Edwin Obiorah and others who have vowed to do everything possible to ensure that our Chief Ezeonwuka do not succeed in reaping the benefit of the aforesaid Consent Judgement.
13. The purpose of this press conference is to bring to your knowledge the unlawful plans and criminal conspiracies by the Management of Tansian University led by one Innocent Ukeh, Barr Dr Edwin Obiorah, who are now threatening the life of Chief Ezeonwuka. They have vowed that they will use violence to retake and maintain possession of our Chief Ezeonwuka’s land spaces and physical structures thereon. Presently, they are engaging thugs and motor park touts, preparatory to launching very brutal attack on the person of Chief Rommy A Ezeonwuka, his servants and officer of Ranent Industries Company Limited.
This is a notice, for the world to be aware.
Signed,
Chief Emmanuel Ejike,
Head of Media, Ranent Industries.