By peter uzoma
Following a recent declaration that those opposed to the multi-campus system for Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo Ohaji are merely blackmailing him and the state government, stakeholders of the school has branded the Rector, Rev Fr Wence Madu, a serial liar who employs deceitful tactics in the course of discharging his duties and does not mean well for the institution.
In a statement made available to Trumpeta by the group known as Imo State Polytechnic Stakeholders Forum, (Imopoly Forum), the body stated that the recent comments credited to the Catholic cleric as reasons for taking vital courses away to other parts of the state under the pretext of multi-campus system, are unfortunate and unexpected from a man of God and somebody of his priestly standing.
According to the statement endorsed by Nyenke Williams and Sir Francis Ndunka, Chairman and Secretary respectively, the views expressed by the Rector are mere perfidy targeted at deceiving the public and Imolites into buying the destructive tendencies being exhibited by Fr Madu since he took over leadership of the school.
The stakeholders disclosed that Fr Madu’s recent sermon on relocation of courses from Umuagwo to other multi campus centres is at variance with his earlier statements where he severally denied before the immediate landlords that “not even a pin or course will leave Imo Poly, Umuagwo, to any other campus in the state. Continuing, the stakeholders said “We don’t want to join issues with the Rector, Rev Fr Madu on the relocation of courses from Umuagwo to other places under the pretext of running a multi-campus system since he is an ordained man of God. But his infamous role in the whole saga speaks volume of his desire to institute anarchy and confusion in the place which the public should be alerted. The facts remains that the priest incharge of the school should better quit his Godly vocation and begin to play partisan politics than mess up the revered Catholic priesthood, while serving deceitful politicians. His role in the whole saga is unbecoming of a priest of the Catholic Church and should be called to order by the Catholic Church and government authorities. For record purposes, when our Forum protested against the planned balkanization of courses, Governor Rochas Okorocha who first sent his Chief of Staff, Jude Ejiogu to deny such plan, in an interactive session where the Rector was also present, offered that there was no such plan and branded it as mere rumours carried by enemies of the government. What the Governor however said was that the other campuses would be affiliate of the main campus as ALVAN is to UNN. To our greatest chagrin, the Rector who could be said to be on “Destroy Mission” to Imo Poly, still insisted on balkanizing the institution by taking the vital courses out of Umuagwo to where he prefers. This is after he assured us on two occasions when our people called on him that nothing will move out of Umuagwo to either Orlu or Ehime Mbano”.
Continuing, the Forum declared that the reasons offered for the relocation of courses are cheap falsehood and lies perpetrated by the priest and his collaborators to politicize the relocation of courses in the institution for selfish reasons.
“Till date, the Rector, Fr Madu, has not given reasons for the relocation of courses to the said campuses. What he told us that the new campuses would run fresh courses. But to our greatest chagrin, he has moved all the Engineering Courses to Orlu as well as part of management departments to Ehime Mbano, thereby, leaving only the main Agric courses that were there before it was converted to a Polytechnic in 2007 by the Ohakim government. The stakeholders were surprised that during the recent “arrangee” NBTE visit, items were however carted away from Umuagwo to Orlu. Under the full glare of people, resource materials and some equipment in the existing Engineering Schools in Umuagwo were moved to Orlu, where obsolete items existed for the school to operate. In the case of moving the management departments to Ehime Mbano, no reason can be offered, than unwarranted politics of sharing Imo Poly campuses by interested zonal jingoists”, it added.
The group regretted that Fr Madu, a priest of 26 years experience would allow himself to be used as a willing tool by serving politicians who are young enough to be his sons in the disaffection game. Adding that the Rector who has relegated the interest of the host communities by denying them employment opportunities and other privileges, should be held responsible for the consequences that may trail the ongoing relocation of courses.
While regretting that Imo Poly lost vital accreditation during Fr Madu’s era, the Forum noted that it was only this year the priest is incharge that HND graduates of the school were denied National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Scheme Call up/Mobilization, because of his insensitivity to the progress of the school.
“His interest was only to ignorantly dance to the tune of his selfish play masters, whose primary interest is relocating the vital departments to their respective areas, than properly fund the school to attain enviable heights. Posterity will not forget Fr Madu that he was the architect of misfortune to both the students and the stakeholders. The law he is talking about by the Imo State House of Assembly belongs to the cadre of laws similar to the “Abortion Law” where due process was not followed and the public unaware of process leading into its passage into law before the Governor gave assent. It is unfortunate that government is playing politics with the Imo Poly multi-campus system, when IMSU Faculty of Engineering, College of Education for Okigwe Zones and three universities Okorocha promised Imo people have not been achieved. Their primary interest is the balkanization of Imo Poly because they see the Ohaji/Egbema people as “slaves” in the Imo Community”, the Forum further stated.
