Amid Corruption Allegations, Asaba College Provost, Anene-Okeakwa Faces Fresh Accusations

Dr (Mrs) Josephine Anene-Okeakwa, Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State, has been in the news lately for no good reason.

BIGPENNGR understands that Anene-Okeakwa, who is the first female provost of the college and indigene of Asaba since the inception of the federal college in 1989, is currently enmeshed in allegations of nepotism, corruption, highhandedness and intimidation of staff of the institution.

Recalls that recently the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) had written a FoI letter to the institution requesting detailed information on projects executed in the institution followed a petition by a former Head of Physical Planning Division of the college, fired after he sent a petition to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) revealing a series of corruption.

This time around, several lecturers are allegedly accusing the Provost of intimidation, highhandedness and nepotism.

One of the lecturers privy to happenings in the collage, said the institution is being run like a private estate and workers live in fear because of the way staff are treated like slaves by the Provost.

“The institution has not had it so bad like this since establishment. Since the appointment of Josephine Anene-Okakwa as Provost, corruption, fraudulent practices, intimidation, nepotism, ethnic hatred, oppression, highhandedness, victimization and indiscriminate queries have become a daily affair in the institution. The Urhobos, Isokos, Ijaws of Delta state and other ethnic groups suffer the most in her hands.

“The Provost is from Delta North and I am also from from her senatorial district but the way and manner she treats people especially from other ethnic groups and run the school is appalling. Her level of corruption is unbeatable. If lecturers from her Delta North erred, they are verbally warned and forgiven. But if such lecturers are from other ethnic groups that erred, panels will be set up and queries, suspension and undemocratic punishments will be meted out.”

A staff in the institution who said he has suffered same fate in the past and prefers to remain anonymous, chided Anene-Okakwa, alleging that the Provost has succeeded in pocketing the college through connivance and gratification to some persons in the college and high authority.

“I have been a victim sometimes in the past even one of our staff, Ameh Joseph suffered same too. He got series of threats even sacked after revealing corrupt activities and looting going on in this our Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Joseph, was the head of the physical planning division of the college, and was fired last year May, by the super Provost, Anene-Okakwa following his petition to the Independent corrupt practices and other related offences commission, ICPC.

“Joseph revealed series of corruption happening in the institution under the supervision of the Provost, Anene-Okakwa, then Acting Director Of Works, Engr Ibhafidon Ehimen and as always, the Provost publicly boasted that the ICPC team was just out to extort some money from her and having been paid, the investigation was dead and that nothing will come out of the investigation because the matter has been settled.

“As we talk, another senior lecturer is passing through almost same fate in the hands of the Provost. The lecturer’s name is Mrs. Beatrice Orife, the former HOD, general studies. In the past twenty eight years, she has served the college meritorious and the Provost want to dent the lecture’s good records of service to her father land just because she is an Isoko woman and against her draconian policies and corrupt leadership.

“Mrs. Orife has been member of the college TETFUND committee, member of the college sport commission, member of the staff union and member of the NCCE accreditation committee among others. In June, 2019, Mrs. Orife applied for PhD sponsorship through TETFUND to go to USA to study Afro-America literature and till date, the application form is missing between the Provost and TETFUND desk officer in the college who is Igbodo Republic.

“The conspiracy to permanently subdue her through every given opportunity was made manifest when the management started suggesting that she should go to UK to study Afro-America literature. This is also a way of frustrating her from getting PhD and to never have the opportunity to progress in her academic career. This is to further subjugate her in the system.

“The provost has outwardly and on several occasions expressed hatred and prejudice against people of different ethnic extraction especially the Isokos and never wanted to be in any position of authority in the college. Mrs. Orife has risen to the position of a principal lecturer and would be chief lecturer any moment which is a position of a potential dean and provost, but the Provost in her character would never want to see Mrs. Orife, an Isoko woman in that position.

“Mrs. Orife, has received series of punishments on frivolous offences from the Provost, she was removed from the position of HOD and will not hold any position of responsibility for the period of four years and as we speak her three months salaries is been confiscated by the Provost.”

Also speaking to our correspondent at the school premises, a Head of Department, (HOD), who pleaded for anonymity called what’s going on the institution as ‘reign of cabals’, where some staff are above the law and more important than others.

“Do you know that in April 2019, the former provost, Ignatius Nweze Ezoem, unilaterally took decision to convert twenty six non academic staff of the college to academic. This act of administrative arbitrariness and impunity made worse the already bad situation in the department of general studies.

“Mrs. Osita Lokoyi who is the director of education technology and the dean of education, Mrs. Diabuah Juliana, both chief lecturers in the department of general studies, conspired and committed a gross academic misconduct for secretly moderating an examination question and this issue was presented to academic board and no panel was set up. They were only given a private verbal warning.

“Another academic staff, a chief lecturer, Uche Wemebu and one time college desk officer of TETFUND committee embezzled eight hundred and fifty thousand naira TETFUND money. The panel set up recommended dismissal but the Provost converted it to a warning. Today the lecturer is the dean of science. The acting HOD of general studies, Johnson Chukwusa was caught mutilating general studies mathematics a course he does not teach and no disciplinary action was taken against him.

“These academic staff are from Anioma, the same ethnic group as the provost.The provost son, Emeka Anene, a clerical staff in automobile department does not come to work since the mother assumed office as the provost and has been receiving salaries.

A non academic staff in the institution who for some security reasons according to her pleaded not to be mentioned and well abreast with what she described as ‘board room politics’ in the institution, saying Mrs. Orife is one of the best English lecturer ever produced in the institution, adding that the Provost is playing ethnicity politics and been wicked and intimidated by Mrs. Orife’s rising academic profile.

“Anene Okakwa is synonymous with corruption, fraud, nepotism, intimidation and ethnicity bigotry. Just two weeks ago, the Provost hired the services of the DSS and began to intimidate Mrs. Orife, she was invited to DSS headquarters Asaba, on Monday last week by 11:00am and was released by 6:00pm, Wednesday 11:00am and released at about 3:00pm and Thursday with all kind of intimidation and threats to drop all petitions against the Provost or be ready to be dealt with by the DSS.

“The Provost has committed a lot of atrocities in the institution. She’s the only chief executive who generate IGR from the academic staff, she collects N20, 000 each from academic staff to be trained for a period of three months in computer literacy for the purpose of promotion and using the college facility, the ICT centre. The Provost is good at taking academic staff for a ride, bring them down to enhance her position in office.

“Since her assumption in office, she has not demonstrated any administrative competency and quality to lead the college. The Provost accommodation is consolidated in her salary but still, she armed twisted the institution to be paying for her accommodation in Asaba.”

When contacted on the issue, the Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State, Josephine Anene-Okakwa, denied all the allegations leveled against her, saying apart from few individuals who are fighting her and bent on tarnishing her image, she is loved by all.

“I am a disciplinarian, and of course when I see things going wrong in my school I must act to correct them. I have resolved so many cases between staff and prevented some from going to court and they are happy. Just one or two individuals who want to be Provost at all cost are those causing problems in the school. One threatened and confronted me and you know how the country is security wise so I have to take the matter to the DSS.