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By Sunday Ani
Four staff members of Federal Polytechnic, Oko, Anambra State, under the auspices of Concerned Members of Selection Board, have accused the former acting registrar of the Polytechnic, Obinni Onuchukwu, of inconsistent academic credentials, irregularities in job transfer and job progression.
In a petition, dated, June 20 and jointly signed by Okeke Augustina, S. I. Okonkwo, Akabuike N. M. and Godson Okeoma, and addressed to the institution’s governing council Chairman, Kale Kawu, the petitioners alleged that Onuchukwu’s Higher National Diploma (HND) and Ordinary National Diploma (OND) certificates in Mass Communication from the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu, as well as his WAEC certificate lacked credibility, and as such, should be investigated.
They said they were members of the selection board that conducted the interview which led to the appointment of the substantive registrar; a selection process, Onuchukwu was a candidate in. They alleged that the HND which he submitted suggested that he graduated from the IMT on three different dates from the same programme.
“A frantic efforts was made by him on September 8, 2021, to effect a correction on his date of graduation, which hitherto was August 1999 (22 years), after having worked with the same certificate in the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and Federal Polytechnic, Oko; two federal establishments, respectively.
“Furthermore, notwithstanding, the doubtful ND result issued without an institutional letter headed paper, it is worthy of note that the ordinary level certificate which he filed for his appointment was a result he obtained in 2012, the same year he was purportedly promoted to the rank of deputy registrar,” they alleged.
They also alleged that his promotions and transfer of service from NAN to Federal Polytechnic, Oko, had some irregularities.
The petitioners, therefore, want the governing council to restore sanity in the polytechnic by setting up a high powered council committee to ascertain the veracity or otherwise of the allegations.
According to the petitioners, they couldn’t have tabled their observation before the chairman having been members of the selection board, but noted that they were constrained by Onuchukwu’s utterances.
When contacted, Onuchukwu said as a public servant, he was not supposed to speak to newsmen unless authorised to do so. “Please write according to your conscience,” he said.
