ICPC’s Anti Corruption Unit Not Disbanded, Says Provost Asaba FCoE

The Provost, Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State, Dr (Mrs) Josephine Anene-Okeakwa, has debunked claims that the Anti Corruption and Transparency Unit of the College (ACTU), an ICPC-watchdog in tertiary institutions has been disbanded in the institution.

She, also dismissed reports that the head of the unit was suspended for exposing some sharp practices involving a senior lecturer in the College, describing the allegations as false and unfounded.

Reports in some quarters had accused Anene-Okeakwa of dissolving the ACTU and also suspended its chairman for exposing some sharp practices in the institution.

But the Provost said, “This is a lie from the pit of hell, I have never interfered in anything concerning any Panel of inquiry’s assignments. There are limits to what a Provost can do in a College setting; the Council has much more powers to take some punitive measures against senior staff who go overboard.”

“As Provost, I have no power to disband ACTU, and I know very well the limit of my powers. It may interest you to know that I am a product of the system. I have been in Management for years as Head of Department, Dean of School, Deputy Provost, Governing Council Member, and now Provost. So I have garnered enough experiences to know how the system operates, the powers and limitations of Provost.”

“I couldn’t have dissolved ACTU and as a matter of fact I did not. The truth is that Governing Council of the College in a meeting held recently looked into the petitions and reports arising from and against ACTU. Council in its wisdom took steps to refocus the body on its core mandate. You may wish to interact with ACTU Chairman and members. Please go and hear from them directly”.

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The Provost reiterated her resolve to rid the college of untoward vices and reposition it to pursue the core mandate o it’s establishment, and make it a citadel of teaching and learning towards attaining academic excellence.

All effort to get comments from the ACTU Chairman, Mr Samuel Ilabor were unsuccessful as of press time but a member of ACTU who pleaded anonymity said, “Things have not being going well in ACTU for some time now.

“As I speak with you many of us have resigned as ACTU members because ACTU has been turned into a weapon of blackmail and Vendetta.”

“Most times he cajoles us into helping to settle his personal scores with staff of the College, instigating malicious petitions and stage managed investigations.

“The last stroke that broke the Carmel’s back was his latest campaign of calumny and vendetta against Dr O. E. Okonta a highly reputable Chief Lecturer and Governing Council Member.

Another ACTU member who also didn’t want her name on print for fear of harassment and intimidation, said it was a mere propaganda they were all there at the meeting of ACTU with Governing Council when the contention report was laid on the table.

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“So I wonder where the allegation that Provost dissolved ACTU emanated from. The ACTU members themselves promptly disowned Ilabor’s report against Dr Okonta having discovered it was all malicious, baseless, vindictive. We pleaded with Council to pardon us because we were misled and manipulated as weapon of vendetta against Dr Okonta.”

“There and then ACTU members realized they had derailed substantially; instead of pursing its core mandate as anti-graft agency and watchdog against corruption, they veered into partisanship. It was at this point that the Provost lent her voice pleading with Council to pardon the flagrant violation of extant College/Public service rules and code of conduct caused by Mr Ilabor.”

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