Human Rights Lawyer, Agbor Nkongho, boycotted the disciplinary panel hearing at the University of Buea and has challenged the President of the Disciplinary Council of the said hearing, to respect the rule of law, and follow the basics required to summon a teacher for hearing.
In a 5-point explication for his absence addressed to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea, Balla made reference to section 57 of the 1993 Decree on the special status of higher education staff, the Ministerial circular on due respect of disciplinary procedures in public institutions of Higher Education in Cameroon, insisting that he will only attend a disciplinary summon when the provisions of the relevant instruments are complied with.
Barristar Balla insists that the rapporteur to the said disciplinary panel failed to investigate and come up with a report; adding that “an invitation for a teacher to appear before a disciplinary panel must be proceded by the respect of certain statutory provisions”.
All now seems to have fallen apart for the team that was set aside to listen to Barrister Felix Balla. The expected denouement isn’t near as Balla’s justifications might now send the team to follow normal procedures as spelt out by the law.
According to the hearing invitation signed by the Dean of Faculty of Law and Political Science, Prof Atangcho Nji, the barrister allegedly failed to comply to professional obligations while setting first semester examination questions for the course Political and Constitutional History of Cameroon (LAW243).
“The letter inviting me to appear before a disciplinary panel disregards relevant instruments and violates my rights as a teacher”- he stated.
There are set of Decrees and Ministerial Circulars entrench to govern and regulate disciplinary proceedings involving university teachers and according to the legal mind, the following points stipulated in those legal texts were violated;
1) The suspect (Agbor Balla) was never invited for the purpose of any prior Investigation that should be carried out on that basis of a report before a final report is tabled to the disciplinary council.
2) The invitation letter did not notify him of the sanctions he risk incurring if found guilty which is what the legal documents say.
3) He was not availed of the case file as it is supposed to be, so that he properly prepares for his defense.
4) The suspect was not summoned at least five (5) days before the holding of the council as stipulated.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Buea, Ngono Horace Manga had instructed the Dean of the Faculty of Law and Political Science to summon Agbor Balla over a controversial exam questions.
The order was given to the VC on two occasions by the Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, Prof Jacques Fames Ndongo.
News Upfront has gathered that all courses allocated to Barrister Felix Nkongho, counting for the second semester of the 2019/2020 academic year have been withdrawn.
similarly final year university students under Balla’s supervision will be assigned new supervisors.
Reacting to the situation, Agbor Balla on social media says he forgives all those who have erred against his person.
The story ensues as the University of Buea’s response is awaited.
The more the hit him the more he is known