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From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
At the Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu, the atmosphere has been tense in recent weeks. A mix of corruption allegations, a devastating fire incident, and recurring cases of vandalism has pushed the institution into the spotlight, raising questions about governance, security, and the true state of affairs within the college.
But for the Deputy Provost, Dr. Samuel Odo, much of what is being said in the public space does not reflect reality. Sitting down to respond to the allegations, he spoke calmly but firmly, insisting that the narrative has been distorted.
He said: “First of all, I want to appreciate you people for coming to have firsthand information. Because, with what is happening today, somebody can sit in his room and raise issues that are not even existing.
“It’s true that there have been wild allegations against the provost, Prof. Pauline Ngozi Ikwuegbu, and the management, but I want to say emphatically that those allegations are false—completely false, in the best way anyone can describe falsehood.”
One of the most prominent accusations is that the provost diverted three buses, allegedly worth about N300 million, for personal use. Odo dismissed this outright, saying the claim ignored the actual agreement behind the vehicles.
“They wrote that the provost diverted three buses to her personal school, but they did not tell the public the contractual agreement attached to those buses. Those buses were constituency projects. The contractor brought them through the college as an advisory agent, and it was clearly written that one of the buses was for the Federal College of Education, Eha-Amufu. That is the Foton bus the council is using today, it is in our garage,” he narrated.
He continued: “The same document stated that the other two buses should go to schools in Enugu State. When we saw the publication, we carried out our own investigation and located the schools in Ibakwa, in Igbo-Eze South.
“The owners confirmed that they received the buses in 2023 as constituency projects. We even made this public. But those making the allegations ignored that part and continued pushing their own version.”
On claims that the provost misused TETFund support to favour loyalists, Odo was equally direct.
“Anything about TETFund is not hidden. We have records showing that over 70 staff members benefited from TETFund interventions between 2018 and 2024. I don’t think the provost has up to 70 relatives or cronies, as they claim. In fact, she allows labour leaders to nominate members for these opportunities. That has been the system.”
For him, the timing of the allegations is telling. He believes they are linked to internal interests as the provost’s tenure winds down.
“I have been here for over 30 years, and I was even a student here. At the end of every provost’s tenure, you begin to hear all kinds of stories, especially from people who have interest in succeeding the outgoing provost. Some even come openly to demand favours. When you refuse, they turn around and start attacking you. That is what is happening,” he said.
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Beyond the allegations, however, the college is dealing with a more serious and visible problem such as security breaches and repeated vandalism.
The fire incident, which gutted a key building, remains a major concern. Odo recalled how he received the news in the early hours of the morning.
“I was in Enugu preparing for a council meeting when my phone rang around 2:13 a.m. It was the Chief Security Officer telling me that fire had gutted the council chambers. I was shocked. I immediately started making calls because, from experience, whenever something like that happens, the next thing you hear is that things have been vandalised.
“When people got there, they said nobody could even enter the place as the fire had razed the building completely. Then people started saying management knew about it, that it was to cover up corruption, that the procurement unit was there. But that is not true. That building had not housed the procurement unit for over a year.
“That building contained our exam unit, our records, our postgraduate diploma offices, so many important sections. Nobody who understands the value of those facilities would believe that management would destroy such a place,” he said.
What followed the fire, according to him, was a wave of coordinated vandalism across the campus.
“Within the same period, we got reports that wires were removed from the ICT unit in the School of Arts and Social Sciences. The Head of Music Department also reported that everything in his office had been stripped. Later, we heard that the School of Sciences was broken into and items were taken.”
He described a pattern that suggests deliberate and organised activity.
“There are times they set fire in one area just to distract attention, then go somewhere else to vandalise. At one point, while security was trying to put out a fire near the council building, they went to the admin block and removed three external air-conditioning units. Thankfully, they were later recovered from nearby bushes,” he said.
The scale of the damage over time has been significant. One of the worst incidents, he said, was the destruction of the college’s water treatment plant.
He said: “In 2023, they vandalised almost the entire water treatment plant, a new installation worth over N50 million. They left only the skeleton. Since then, we have been using water tankers to supply students. What should have been a basic facility has become a major challenge.”
“They vandalised the armoured cable connected to the transformer supplying power to the hostels. For about two months now, there has been no light in the college. It is affecting everything,” he added.
Despite these challenges, Odo said there has been no direct attack on students, a point he stressed repeatedly.
“We have not recorded any case of students being molested. We have internal security and support from community neighbourhood groups. But the truth is, the college is porous. We need proper fencing. The provost has started fencing from the main gate, but we need more,” he said.
Even with the fire affecting key administrative units, he expressed confidence that academic records would not be completely lost.
“We operate a system where results are processed at different levels. From lecturers to departments, to schools, and then to the central exam unit. Soft copies are also stored in the ICT unit. So, while there may be some challenges, it is not as bad as people are making it sound,” he explained.
