A fresh crisis is brewing in Tansian University, Umunya, Anambra State Port , over the alleged inclusion in the Will of late Msgr Prof John Bosco Akam the properties of Renant Industries Ltd property at Oba, Idemili South LGA which is used at take-off campus of the University.
The University has allegedly been occupying the property in the last 15 years, without paying rent even as the University has over the years stopped paying the petttle honorarium agreed upon with the founder of the company.
The Children of Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka cried out on the forcible occupation of their father’s properties as the uncooperative attitude of the University authorities scare them over their father’s property.
They urged the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria and the Nigeria Papal Nuncio, among others, to intervene, since their efforts to reclaim the property had been futile.
The sons, in a news conference in Abuja said Msgr Akam died on February, 2021, without paying their father his honorarium and mischievously included the properties in his Last Will which has been read probated and executor administered to a strange religiously organisation.
They said their father took the battle, without being able to collect his honorarium or eject the University or giving share as the University co-owner as agreed at the conception.
The sons want the University to vacate the property and for the University authorities to stop trespassing, insisting that the institution must pay their debt to the family and hand over the buildings to them, as the rightful owners.
He said: “This is a cry for help to the relevant authorities, especially the Catholic church. Our father did not sale the property to Tansian University. Part of the property was used as collateral a for loan at Oba Microfinance Bank and Late Akam paid off the bank the debt balance because he wanted to use that section as noviciate. Later, he approached our father to release the other properties which is not incumbered for facilitate the establishment of Tansian University. He never offered to buy the property, and our father never sold the property.
“Our father only gave a portion of the entire property for temporary succor to Msgr Akam who ran into numerous difficulties in 2002 while trying to establish a Catholic Congregation noviciate close to the Oba Airport venue for the beatification of Blessed Iwene Tansi even when the Catholic Archdiocese of Onitsha has not given final approval of the Congregation as pious entity with rights in the Church.
“In 2004, while still going back and front with the Archdiocese on the approval of his Congregation, Msgr Akam took another coil to convince our father to partner with him to the establishment a convntional University to be called Tansian University. Part of the partnership was for our father to release the entire premises and property of Rennet industry to serve as take-off sight of the proposed Tansian University. Mutual Partnership Agreement was made and reached between Msgr Akam and our on the proposal. Our father was designated as the major contributor in the application sent to NUC and subsequent meetings as the Financier.
“While awaiting verification visit, our father directed then Oba Community bank to issue Msgr Akam with Deed of Convenience, Irrevocable Power of Attorney on payment of N14 million to clear an outstanding debt of the mortgaged portion of the property. That was to convince the NUC that the property was not encumbered, leased or under rent. Our father never gave him the CofO or any title document parterning the entire property; only a portion was used as collateral. And Oba Microfinance Bank wouldn’t have sold the encumbered portion of the property to Msgr Akam without declaring it for sale at public auction as required by law.
“No sooner than the license was granted that Msgr Akam begun to scheme out our father from the business of the University. He quickly reshuffled members of the Board and Planning and Implementation Committee by suspicious removing our father from the new board. Angered by the act of shenanigan movements and outright refusal to abide by the agreement and denial of his partnership rights, another agreement was peaceful reached and deposed in a High Court as a Consent Judgement, where honorarium of 10 million naira will be paid to our father yearly. Msgr Akam paid for only four years and suddenly he stopped with excuse that the University has no money. Suddenly, he approached the court to overturn the consent judgement, but the High Court at Ogidi strucked it out and granted leave of execution to our father to confiscate movable and immovable properties of the University to recover his outstanding indebtedness.
“Our father does not want to embarrass the church, he want the University to vacate the property peacefully
“Again, we recently observed that the Late Msgr Akam included our property in his Last Will. That is not acceptable.
“We view this conduct as an act of oppression against our family and we call on Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria and the Papa Nuncio and Nigerians of good conscience to intervene on our behalf and direct the University to release our father’s property to us and pay the arrears of honorarium owed, as the property is our only source and hope of a better tomorrow
A source of the University said on the phone that they have no idea of such allegations levelled against the University, noting that they taught that Msgr Akam “legitimately” acquired the property.
But a check at the Bureau of Lands and Survey, shows that Renant Industries Ltd is a “bona fide owner of the University property at Oba campus.