By Austin Ogwuda
.… Our findings revealed alleged certificate racketeering, questionable financial transactions, irregular auctioning of the school’s vehicles – Delta Assembly
MEMBERS of the Delta State House of Assembly have admonished the State Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Nyerhovwo Tonukari to always act in strict compliance with the enabling Laws establishing the Polytechnic and other Tertiary institutions in the State and steer clear from over-reaching himself in handling of conflicts.
The admonition followed the adoption of a 29-page Comprehensive Report presented by the Chairman of the Ad-hoc Committee investigating the alleged scandals rocking the Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Hon. Emeka Nwaobi during Thursday’s plenary.
*The Chairman, Governing Council, Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Pastor Paul Adingwupu
They stated that the Commissioner should desist from any actions that could be interpreted as usurping the powers of the Visitor (Governor).
Recall that the Commissioner had upturned the suspension which the Governing Council slammed on the Rector, Professor Emmanuel Achuenu and consequently wrote a stern memo to the Paul Adingwupu-led Governing Council ordering it to reverse itself on the matter.
The Committee in its recommendations, called on the Visitor to the Polytechnic, that’s 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 embattled Rector of the Delta State Polytechnic Ogwashi-Uku, Prof Emmanuel Achuenu
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.
On the whole, the House upheld the six-month suspension of the Rector of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Professor Emmanuel Achuenu following the adoption of the Report of the Ad-hoc Committee Report.
Presenting the Report, Hon Emeka Nwaobi, who is also the Majority Leader of the House stated 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.
As at today, the Polytechnic is grounded following the strike action embarked upon by the Lecturers under the umbrella of Academic Staff Union of Polytechnic (ASUP) which the Governing Council Chairman, Pastor Paul Adingwupu as “politically motivated” in order to protect the embattled Rector and other management staff fingered in the raging scandals.
