The Benue State House of Assembly has rejected the nomination of a university lecturer, Timothy Ornguga as commissioner, following petition signed against him by his ex-students at the Benue State University (BSU), Makurdi, North Central Nigeria.
Mr. Ornguga is an Associate Professor of Law at the university.
A group of former students of the university had petitioned the assembly, demanding the withdrawal of his nomination as a commissioner by the state’s Governor, Hyacinth Alia.
The petitioners accused him of “cruelty, psychological abuse, and draconian conduct as a university lecturer.”
While Mr Ornguga and his fellow nominee, James Dwen failed the screening as the assembly found their responses to the petitions unsatisfactory; six others including Theresa Odachi, Benjamin Ashaver, Adamu Margaret, Peter Oboh, Denis Iyaighgba, and Paul Ogwuche were confirmed.
The lawmakers therefore asked the governor to forward two new names to replace them.
In response to allegations levelled against him, Mr Ornguga told DevReporting that students were free to make claims, but urged the media to verify the allegations against him with his employer, the university, before publishing.
But the university said it had yet to receive an official petition against its employee, and could not rely on social media posts to take action.
Background
Earlier in July, Mr Alia had dissolved his cabinet, sacking all 17 commissioners and his Chief of Staff, Paul Biam. A former two-term Attorney-General in the state, Moses Atagher, was announced as Mr Biam’s successor.
The governor later submitted the first batch of commissioner-nominees to the state’s House of Assembly for screening and confirmation. Among the nominees are Mr Ornguga, Theresa Odachi, Benjamin Ashaver, Margaret Adamu, Peter Oboh, Denis Iyaighgba, James Dwem, and Paul Ogwuche.
However, Mr Ornguga’s nomination immediately sparked outrage from some of his former students, who petitioned the legislature, alleging that his nomination is dangerous, and urged lawmakers to step it down.
Petition
In the petition addressed to the Speaker of the Assembly, the signatories, comprising former students of Mr Ornguga at the university’s Law faculty, urged lawmakers to “act decisively and responsibly in the interest of justice, public service ethics, and the mental well-being of Benue’s citizens.”
In addition, an online petition on Change.org launched on 1 August, which had garnered 723 verified signatures as of Friday, 22 August, alleged that his methods as a lecturer were “cruel, demoralising, and psychologically abusive.”
Their demands include the immediate suspension of Mr Ornguga’s confirmation, the constitution of an independent committee to investigate his professional conduct, and a comprehensive psychological evaluation to determine his fitness for both public office and continued academic service. They also called on the Assembly to enforce stricter ethical screening of all political nominees.
The petition referenced a precedent from 2016, when the Kaduna State Government withdrew a commissioner nominee following an allegation of abuse of students.
“Anyone who publicly boasts of inflicting emotional harm on students and finds joy in their failure is unfit to hold any form of public trust,” the petition reads in part.
The petitioners accused Mr Ornguga of creating a hostile learning environment marked by humiliation, intimidation, and sadistic behaviour.
They recounted instances where he allegedly compelled students to spell his full name, including his Tiv middle name, “Yangien,” with penalties for those who failed, an act described as discriminatory. They also accused him of boasting about giving students failing grades and openly sharing his pleasure in their academic struggles.
The petition further reads; “Many students carry scars from enduring his classes. If someone with this temperament and conduct is allowed to assume a public leadership position, the mental and emotional well-being of public workers and stakeholders in his ministry will be at serious risk.
“This pattern of conduct goes beyond poor teaching; it constitutes psychological maltreatment, discriminatory academic practices, and emotional abuse, which we are still battling with till date”.
Testimonies
Facebook links embedded in the petition contain public testimonies and firsthand experiences of some of Mr Ornguga’s victims.
Kamo Sende posted: “I know the Associate Professor of Law, Mr Ornguga. He was my lecturer at BSU where he taught me the Law of Evidence. In one of his classes, he came in and asked us to take an assessment – the task was simply to write his full name. I have never forgotten the excitement with which he shared that many people had failed because they did not know how to spell his Tiv name ‘Yangien’,”.
Another user, James Ayilla, posted: “In the Faculty of Law at BSU, Mr Ornguga was virulently wicked and insensitive to the plight of his students. He was allocated different important and compulsory courses to teach, given his specialisation… He wreaked unspeakable havoc on his hapless students, forcing otherwise smart students to spill over and miss graduating and proceeding to law school with their classmates.”
Karen Bito posted: “I will not waste time recapping events of 2015/2016 (my 200-level second semester, when he taught me constitutional law and deliberately gave me a carryover. But for the intervention of my biological parents and my faculty fathers, Mr Ornguga would have been a stumbling block in the smooth growth of my legal career, and till date, I do not know my offense…”
“Dr. Ornguga is not a good man, and I won’t hide it. Anybody who passed through the Faculty of Law as a student, both undergraduate and postgraduate, can attest to this. I pity the staff in the Ministry he will be posted to,” Kelvin Anum posted.
In Gabriel Adzer’s post, he pleaded, “Dear Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia sir, no matter our offense, do not plague us with this man as commissioner.”
Another user, Otache Bako, posted: “Evil tickles Dr. Ornguga’s fancy. You fail his course even before you get to the level he teaches.”
Kor Terhile, in his post, narrated: “One of the commissioner nominees is a lecturer in BSU. He taught me Constitutional Law, second semester, 200 level. On the very first day we were supposed to have our first class with him, we were all very tense. Why? We’ve heard stories – unpleasant, depressing, horrific, terrible, terrifying stories…”
Evelyn Akaater posted: “If Dr. Orgunga is confirmed as a commissioner in Benue State, it will not be due to the insignificance of our voices but rather because the state completely disregards its people. This individual is far from being an ideal public figure, Biko.”
Ornguga, university react
When contacted, Mr Ornguga advised DevReporting to seek clarifications from the university, saying he could not stop anyone from raising allegations against him.
“I encourage every media house to work with the school management and relevant authorities to thoroughly investigate the matter before going ahead to publish their reports,” he said.
Responding on behalf of the university, the Registrar, Barnabas Hemba, said the allegations against Mr Ornguga remain unofficial, as no formal complaint has been submitted to the institution.
“We have not received any petition from students to warrant an investigation,” he said. “The Faculty of Law has begun looking into some of the claims informally, but we cannot rely on social media reports. Our operations are guided by law, and until concerns are formally presented, we cannot launch an official probe.”
What is at stake
According to the petition, appointing Mr Ornguga would be “not merely inappropriate but dangerous,” arguing that his alleged behaviour demonstrates contempt for students, lack of empathy, and an abuse of authority.
“What is at stake is the credibility of public leadership in Benue State. It is about ensuring that public offices are not handed over to individuals with histories of intimidation, cruelty, and a blatant disregard for human dignity.
“If he becomes Attorney General or leads any ministry, the same toxic energy that traumatised students in his classroom will be transferred into the very institutions meant to serve the public good. The consequences could be severe, especially for subordinates who dare to have independent thought or make honest mistakes,” the petition warns.
Legal, ethical grounds
Citing Section 192(2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the petitioners reminded the assembly of its constitutional duty to vet and confirm nominees not only based on academic or professional credentials but also on character and fitness for office.
A pattern of abusive conduct, even within an academic setting, raises legitimate and serious concerns about a nominee’s capacity to function within a democratic, people-focused, and service-oriented government.
They also invoked the Benue State Public Service Rules, which require all public officers to demonstrate dignity, respect, discipline, and professionalism – qualities they alleged Mr Ornguga has consistently lacked.
“To confirm such a nominee in the face of overwhelming public concern would be a dereliction of constitutional duty and an endorsement of conduct that is fundamentally incompatible with good governance,” they warned.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the latest development.