When on Wednesday, October 8, this year, the State House of Assembly, following a motion of matter under Public Importance raised at plenary by the member representing Aniocha South State Constituency, Hon. Isaac Anwuzia constituted a Seven-man Ad-hoc Committee to investigate the general affairs of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-uku from 2023 till date, it was obvious that all was not well with the Polytechnic.
The motion which was supported by the member representing Burutu 2 State Constituency in the State Assembly, Hon Pereotu Oloye and, unanimously adopted by the lawmakers at the plenary presided over by the Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor, sought to investigate the deepening conflict between the Governing Council of the Polytechnic and the Rector, Prof. Emmanuel Achuenu.
The crux of the internal conflict as suggested by the Hon. Isaac Anwuzia’s motion, bothered largely on administrative impasse and financial impropriety which, it noted, was already threatening the rising profile of the Institution as well as the overall peace within the poly community.
Barely two weeks after it was constituted, the Seven-man Ad-hoc Committee headed by the Leader of the State Assembly and member representing Aniocha North State Constituency, Hon Emeka Nwaobi, presented its report.
Presenting the committee report which lasted for over an hour, the Hon. Nwaobi led Ad-hoc Committee recommended that the six months suspension earlier slammed on the Rector of the State-owned Polytechnic, Prof. Emmanuel Achuenu by the Governing council of the school should be upheld just as it also, recommended a six months suspension for the Bursar of the Polytechnic, Mr. Lawrence Ahwabighe.
The recommendation which formed part of the 29-page report by the committee as presented on the floor of the State House of Assembly during Thursday plenary presided over by the Speaker of the State Assembly, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor, also, frowned at the role of the State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukari in relation to the crisis.
The lawmakers in their resolution, stated that the Commissioner should be cautioned and advised to always work in compliance with the law establishing the polytechnic and other Tertiary Institutions in the State
Further, the legislators in their resolution, enjoined the Commissioner to desist from usurping the powers of the Visitor of the Institution and Governor of the State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori.
Presenting the report, Hon. Nwaobi explained that the investigation uncovered alleged administrative misconduct and financial breaches involving the Rector, Prof. Emmanuel Achuenu and some management officials of the Polytechnic.
He said the committee’s findings also revealed alleged certificate racketeering, irregular auctioning of metal scraps, vehicles, and other property of the institution, as well as questionable financial transactions within the Polytechnic’s accounts and revenue system.
It further recommended that the Deputy Rector should act in an interim capacity for the duration of the Rector’s suspension to ensure administrative stability just as it also, recommended that the most senior Chief Accountant in the Bursary should act as Bursar during the period of the suspension
The committee further called on the Visitor to the Polytechnic — the Governor, to invoke Section 32(1) and (2) of the law establishing the institution, which empowers the Visitor to conduct a visitation or direct such a visitation into the affairs of the Polytechnic.
The visitation, according to the committee, should focus on: the alleged administrative misconduct and financial improprieties by the Rector and Management; the existence and operation of a certificate racketeering syndicate within the Polytechnic; the alleged auction sale of metal scraps, vehicles, and other institutional properties; the general state of the Polytechnic’s finances and revenue administration; and the overall affairs and governance of the institution.
The Speaker, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor, directed the Clerk to communicate the resolution of the house to the Governor, Rt Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and other parties involved, reaffirming the commitment of the Assembly to ensuring transparency, good governance, and adherence to due process across all state institutions.
The Internal crisis in the institution, according to the committee’s report, bothered largely on high level of animosity between the Governing Council and the Rector.
In his testimony before the Committee, the Chairman, Governing Council, Pastor Paul Adingwupu alleged that the crisis was birthed as a result of persistent breach of the law establishing the Polytechnic and other extant rules by the Rector, adding that the development has resulted into serious crisis between the council and the Management
For the records, the committee in its report, condemned the alleged financial recklessness of the Rector stating that his actions runs contrary to the provisions of the law establishing the polytechnic.
Quoting relevant sections the law establishing the Institution, particularly section 8 and 9, which empowers the Governing Council to be in charge of the general control and supervision of the policy, finance and property if the Polytechnic, the committee frowned at the alleged financial recklessness of the Rector wherein he was alleged to have constantly been spending the Polytechnic’s finances in excess of Millions of Naira as against the law that states that he must not spend any amount above One Million Five Hundred thousand without the approval of the Council.
Also, as part of the committee’s report, it was alleged that the Rector, without the approval of the council, authorized the withdrawal of money from the NIPOGA account. While saying that the Rector, upon his testimony admitted the withdrawal from the account, but added that the money was used for the polytechnic contingent during the NIPOGA which was hosted by the Federal Polytechnic,Oga
“The monies withdrawn from the NIPOGA account, was not only without authorization but was misappropriated.
The committee during investigation, noted that the money was paid by the Students for the purpose of hosting the NIPOGA in the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-uku in 2024.
“Therefore, any expenditure charged to the account must only be for the purpose of hosting the NIPOGA in the Polytechnic. Contrary to the objective of opening the account, the Rector in evidence, told the committee that Forty Million Naira was borrowed from the account to finance part of the accreditation exercise, pay Ad-hoc staff their allowances, among others.
“Premises on the foregoing, the committee can say safely that the Rector misappropriated the NIPOGA funds” the report reads inter alia.
In its resolution at its plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt Hon Emomotimi Guwor, the lawmakers noted that the alleged financial impropriety by the Rector could not have been successfully carried out with the due connivance with the Bursar. It therefore, ruled in a motion that both the Rector and the Bursar should be made to face same music, thus; the six months suspension on both officers of the Polytechnic.
