Benin City, Nigeria – Former Media Officer of the University of Benin (UNIBEN), Ogochukwu Isioma, alias Campus Gist, has denied allegations of fraud leveled against him by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Benedicta Ehanire. Isioma, who resigned from his position, described the allegations as false and an attempt to tarnish his reputation.
In a five-page rejoinder, Isioma refuted claims made in a public disclaimer issued by the university’s public relations and protocol unit, which alleged that he unlawfully received N60,000 from a newly admitted student under the pretense of acting on behalf of the university and the Vice Chancellor’s office.
He insisted that he never conducted business in the name of the institution and maintained that the transaction in question occurred months before he officially joined UNIBEN as a staff member in September, 2022.
According to Isioma, the transaction was facilitated through his brand, Campus Gist, which operates a virtual café offering online services, including registration assistance.
He stated that the sum in question was paid by a new student, Miss Adigwe Isioma Lilian, in May 2022 — months before his employment at the university. When an issue arose regarding the payment not reflecting, he assured the student and her sponsor, one Princewill, that it would be resolved or refunded. He maintained that the refund was eventually made.
Isioma further claimed that the controversy surrounding the case was fueled by internal office politics. He alleged that his immediate boss, Ehanire, held a personal grudge against him due to his perceived closeness to the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Lilian Salami.
He stated that after their fallout, he was gradually sidelined at work—locked out of the university’s official social media accounts, removed from office communication channels, and eventually forced out of his role.
“I resigned when the work environment became rather hostile. My access to the university’s official Facebook page was terminated, I was locked out of the office for a week, and I was eventually removed from our unit’s WhatsApp platform. My immediate ex-boss (Ehanire) left instructions that I should not be seen around the office or the Vice Chancellor’s premises,” Isioma stated.
He also alleged that he was “abducted like a thief” on campus and coerced into signing a document that would later circulate on social media with his full residential address. Despite these incidents, he claimed that he was never officially queried, confronted, or invited for any formal questioning before the university issued the public disclaimer against him.
Isioma expressed disappointment over what he described as an attempt to “spoil” his name and accused his former supervisor of seeking to damage his reputation. He maintained that his resignation was an independent decision aimed at preserving his dignity rather than allowing the system to dismiss him unfairly.
While extending apologies to anyone who felt offended by his departure, Isioma reiterated that he had no malicious intent and had since moved on. He called for an end to the public smear campaign against him and expressed gratitude to those who stood by him during the ordeal.
The University of Benin has yet to respond to Isioma’s detailed rebuttal of the allegations.
FULL STATEMENT BELOW;
“RE: PUBLIC DISCLAIMER
“My attention has been drawn to a statement endorsed by Mrs Benedicta Ehanire, Public Relations Officer of the University of Benin, insinuating fraud allegations against my person and brand.
Ordinarily, I don’t intend to join issues with Ehanire over my lawful exit from the University system, but this rejoinder became necessary for posterity sake, having been inundated with calls by esteemed friends and family members on the issue.
First, my lawful resignation from office as Media Officer was borne out of personal convictions and not as painted in social media by Mrs Ehanire.
On the issue of the alleged “unlawful receipt of the sum of N60,000 from a newly admitted student in the name of the University and Office of the Vice Chancellor, I challenge my accusers to backup their claims with proof or evidence. I have never at any point done any business in the name of the University or Office of the Vice-Chancellor. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
It is no longer news that CAMPUS GIST as a brand operates a [virtual) cafe where we offer online services including registrations to our esteemed customers. In May 2022, one Mr. Princewill, an ex-student of UNIBEN, referred one Miss Adigwe Isioma Lilian, newly admitted English and Literature student, to our cafe for her online clearance (acceptance fee payment).
Please note that I formally joined the services of the University of Benin in September 2022. I was not yet a staff in the said May as I was only a Corps member serving at another establishment in South-South. The services could not have been initiated or rendered using the name of the University or Office of the Vice Chancellor.
The services was initially concluded after system failures and there was no communication on the subject matter from the said Lilian until when she resurfaced in December last year. She said that she was due for physical clearance only to be told that the acceptance payment had yet to reflect. I queried, “why wait until now to lay this complain?, but curiously asked for her logins where I confirmed her complain to be true apparently owing to the earlier payment glitches which would probably not have been noticed until that moment. Without hesitation, I promised to see to it that it’s resolved, where that fails, the Brand would make a ‘restitution” – due to urgency of the matter and for sake of integrity – pending resolution.
There could not have been any malicious attempt on our part whatsoever, as we were in communication with the said Lilian and her sponsor (Princewill) on the matter up till the morning when an interested party and colleague “bought” the matter for obvious reasons. He had apparently seen me as a THREAT to his ‘revered position to our overall boss, and took “special interest” in the case. Those familiar with payment gateways understands the issues that abound and can testify to it.
Victims have sour experiences where they, at some point, had to let go having failed to remedy such situations. Frankly speaking, we have had similar sour experiences in the past some of which are yet unresolved. Even my ex-colleagues in the office attested, having had their own share of the sour experience.Meanwhile, to prevent the issue from lingering into the new academic session, we offered to make a refund which we eventually did. There was never at any point where I was confronted on the matter by my immediate ex-boss, as alleged by her, neither was I formally queried or invited for questioning – only to see a disclaimer out there over an issue she claims is under investigation. I was ‘abducted’ like a thief on campus in a gestapo manner and coerced to sign a document that would later go viral all over social media, courtesy my immediate ex-boss. Was I on the run? Did I dodge invitations? There was none.
The Crux of the Matter (Why I Resigned)
I resigned when the work environment became rather hostile. Prior to this, I had a
“fall out” with my immediate ex-boss in the office, Mrs Ehanire (the PRO), over my “closeness” to the Vice-Chancellor, whom I had approached over a personal matter earlier. She had queried my ‘access’ to our overall Boss, the VC, and even threatened to “destroy” me. The issue was still on ground, unresolved, as she felt slighted, when she apparentiy got wind of the Lilian’s case from the colleague who had “bought the case for obvious reasons.Even while that was on, I had attempted to meet my immediate ex-boss over the development all to no avail. She never confronted me over the issue nor cared to hear my own side of the story apparently due to the “fall out”. Rather, my access to the University official Facebook page where I was hitherto an admin was immediately terminated. I was locked out of the office for a week based on Mrs Ehanire’s directives, and eventually kicked out from our Unit’s WhatsApp platform by my immediate ex-boss, who also left instructions that I should not been seen around the office(s) or VCO premises.
Inasmuch as there was no formal communication as to the sudden developments, I tried to get answers but all efforts proved abortive. I was depressed, confused like a lost sheep and couldn’t muster the courage to speak to anyone in the outside about it. Our overall boss was not around during this whole time, and I couldn’t have gone to discuss a “Management affair outside the establishment; it could have been misinterpreted as act of insubordination or a case of me reporting my boss, or so l thought to myself.
I eventually caved in to the pressure and tendered my resignation to the Vice-Chancellor. I had sent an advanced electronic copy of the letter to our overall boss hoping to get a reaction or a motherly scold, but as there was none, l submitted the hard copy to her office. My immediate ex-boss apparently got wind of the development when the overall boss called her attention to it and so she felt slighted by my action. She told those who cared to listen that she was only testing my patience or temperament or so to say.
According to her, she only wanted me to come to her and plead. ‘I brought him into the system…he resigned without telling me’, she was quoted as saying. My resignation is the issue! She felt slighted. I am sorry if my actions did that, but what else could I have done? Who could I have run to?
Apart from my primary responsibilities in the office which included drafting of speech/address for our overall boss, covering and reporting of courtesy visits and other special assignments, while as Media Officer, I never engaged in any activity or transacted any business in the name or Office of the Vice Chancellor. I am still in total shock as to why my immediate ex-boss whom I served diligently and looked up to chose to “fight’ me in her official capacity, in the open, over a perceived personal beef (the fall out).
Moreso, this is a matter that had long been settled. I am not so surprised anyway, after all, she had, during our fallout, openly threatened how she is capable of “spoiling” my name before our overall boss and ‘throw me under the bus’ when the need arises. The anger is probably because I did not allow the system to
“rubbish” me and thereafter, disengage my services, saying “you are fired!”. I chose to honorably resign in peace. That is the ‘sin’, I, Ogochukwu Isioma, committed.My only regret is that I chose loyalty in a bid to sustain an already ongoing relationship with my bosses by turning down other better offers (within and outside the state) even before the end of my service year. In all, it is well! I have left everything to God. I only ask to be left alone at least to enjoy a well-deserved post-service rest. Nobody has to feel THREATENED anymore since I am no longer in the system. I understand that my immediate ex-boss feel slighted over my exit; I apologise, maybe I could have handled the situation better.
To all those who I may have wronged or stepped on their toes during the course of my work, I am deeply sorry. To my siblings who have been traumatised and stigmatised at their work place, over the disclaimer, I am sorry; I am equally battling with the negative effect on my mental and physical health too. And to all my friends, well-wishers and brands followers who have stood by me, in my defense, in this difficult time, I am most grateful.
For those who have castigated me (even without my own side of the story), in solidarity with my persecutors’, may God bless and reward you all. May God bless Nigeria, a country where judgement is hastily passed even without fair hearing let alone before a court of competent jurisdiction. I hope and pray to come out stronger and better, otherwise, I wish the World well.”
