Ezeonwuka Threatens To Auction Tansian University To Recover N2 Billion Debt
Chief Rommy Ezeonwuka, Managing Director of Rojenny Stadium and Games Village, Oba in Idemili South Local Government Area, Oba has said he will sell Tansian University, Oba Campus to recover the money owed him by the institution.
Ezeonwuka told journalists that the money amounting to over N2 billion was accumulated rent and royalty of about 25 years which the university was owing him for using his property Ranet Industries at Oba as take-off campus.
He said he owned about 81 percent equity shares in the university because his landed property and accumulated rent was worth more than N2 billion.
The businessman said that the management of Tansian University had breached the payment of honorarium agreement as contained in a consent judgement.
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Ezeonwuka said the consent judgement explicitly stipulated that Tansian University would pay him honorarium for 25 years starting from 2010 and thereafter vacate his property, Ranet Industries and relocate to its main campus at Umunya in Oyi Local Government Area.
Ezeonwuka further said the university paid him up to 2015 but stopped following the advice of one Fr. Obiora who advised Prof. Johnbosco Akam that he could challenge the consent judgement.
“This was rejected by the Ogidi High Court which ruled that I should sell off the university and recover all debt they owe me as contained in the consent judgment since the university has violated the orders of the court by reneging in the payment of the agreed honorarium,” he said.
Ezeonwuka said he established Tansian University alongside late Rev. Prof. Johnbosco Akam and that it was in the records of the National Universities Commission (NUC) that he was the financier who also brought other investors to the university.
“I used my factory Ranet Industries at Oba to establish the take-off campus of Tansian University. We were given a license to run the university but eventually Johnbosco Akam started playing tricks that his congregation can own the university and tried to scheme me out.
“We had a court case at Ogidi High Court, in which he had Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN) as his attorney and I had Nnamdi Ibegbu (SAN) as my attorney. I won him at the court and even when the equity was calibrated, it was discovered that I had 8 percent because of my contributions, Johnbosco Akam had 13 percent while other people had some percentages.
“Dr. Eloka Menakaya and some other persons brought in Umunya land which was not adequately paid for. They now brought in my Ranet Industry property worth over N2 billion as the take-off campus.
“The NUC told Johnbosco Akam that if he cannot accommodate the equity shares, they will close down the university. So they pleaded that we should settle out of court and we settled out of court while he pays me for my property.
“Now, instead of calling it rent; the law establishing a university says a university cannot be sited where it is paying rent. So it was classified as an honorarium. That Johnbosco Akam will be paying me honorarium on my property. N10 Million every year and I will hands off my property for him and I can increase the amount after five years.
“After 25 years, he will now get out of my property completely and go to their permanent site at Umunya. That was the agreement we had.
“We agreed that we shall charge N5,000 sports development levy from the 3,000 students it had then. Now if 3000 students pay N5,000 each for a year, it will be N150 Million and we share it equally; so, t am supposed to be getting N75 Million plus N10 Million from Tansian University, that is N85 Million every year as signed in the agreement which was prepared by his lawyer and my lawyer.
“Thereafter we took the agreement to the court and stamped it as a consent judgement. The person who stamped the agreement as an order of the court is the current Chief Judge of Anambra State Justice Anyachebelu,” he said.
Ezeonwuka said however, a certain Fr. Obiora who returned from the United States of America to Nigeria, decided to reverse the consent judgement on the condition that the university’s meagre resources could no longer meet its yearly obligation to him.
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Prof. Nduka Uraih who was the then Vice Chancellor of Tansian University when the consent judgement was reached, said what happened was that the matter has been settled with a 25 year lease and it was agreed that a certain sum of money should be paid to Ezeonwuka and it was signed by all
Uraih affirmed that he was the Vice Chancellor when the consent judgement was signed and he was one of the signatories to it.
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Mr Chidi Okorie, a former Head of Media, Public Relations and Protocols of Tansian University said it was true that a consent judgement was reached where the court mandated the university to be paying Ezeonwuka honorarium on his property.
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According to him, Ezeonwuka brought in money and Johnbosco Akam brought in money and they began renovation of Ranet Industries properties at Oba.
He said thereafter Oba Microfinance Bank came in and said they were being owed by Ranet Industries and that the property is being encumbered
