As the dust raised by the recent sack and compulsory retirement of 89 workers of the Imo state Polytechnic, Umuagwo continues to gather storm, some of the affected victims have raised alarm alleging that their sack was done out of malice, and a vindictive action by the acting Rector, Rev Fr (Dr) Wence Madu to victimize perceived enemies in the institution.
According to some of the victims who were either sacked or shoved out of the Imopoly work force through a circular signed by the Acting Registrar, Susan Njemanze, on the directive of the state government, the list of those sacked were carefully arranged and compiled by the leadership of the institution to prosecute a hate and vengeance mission against some persons who have expressed misgivings concerning the manner, the acting Rector has been running the affairs of the school with special reference to financial issues.
Reports reaching Trumpeta indicate that the Catholic priest in charge of the school allegedly adopted an unorthodox method to oust some senior staffers in the academic line who are qualified to be made the substantive Rector of Imopoly. the list of those sacked in Monday’s exercise include all the staff occupying chief lecturer position except the Rector, Rev Fr Madu whose ascendancy to the chief lecturer position is a subject of controversy. The newspaper was told that the sack of all the chief lecturers was a calculated attempt to remove them from the employ of the school and pave way for the Rev Fr to be the only chief lecturer in the school. The victims claimed that their names were not mentioned or short-listed for retirement in an earlier letter dated 28th March 2012 and signed by Nwagbara V.N (Mrs) for Acting Registrar in which names of those to be retired in 2012 were reeled out.
Among the Chief lecturer asked to go are Uzor E.C, A.O Inyang, Obi A.A and former acting Rector, Eugene Ogu. The Chief lecturers were seen as potential rivals to the Rector’s position hence the alleged inclusion of their names and back-dated their years of retirement, as their names were not in the initial list of those to retire this year as released by the school management in March this year.
Other victims of the Audit Report disclosed that exercise is a vindictive measure orchestrated by the Acting Rector and his cohorts to get rid of those considered “opposition forces” in the school management like the Acting Bursar, Njoku J.K and a principal lecturer, A.O Nzeribe who had their dates of retirements back dated to 2007 and 2010 respectively. Others are the Chief Accountant, J.C Okoro said to have been retired in 2009 and the Poly librarian, M.K Njoku also would have been retired in 2010.
Meanwhile, the release of the Audit Report is having an adverse effect on the social life of the institution as the ever bubbling school has suddenly turned to a ghost town, with remaining staff unsure of their fate. While those who managed to report to work spoke in hushed tones, others threatened fire and brimstone should the management go ahead to release more names in the mass sack.
Efforts to speak with the Registrar and Rector on the development proved abortive as they were said not to be on seat. Calls to their phones for reactions were equally unproductive but a source who pleaded anonymity gave an unconfirmed report that the two top officers may have fled the school premises to avoid being lynched by the aggrieved victims.
