By kelechi ugo
he proposed matriculation ceremony of Imo State Polytechnic Umuagwo, Ohaji/Egbema council area which was scheduled to hold on Friday 24th January, 2014 has been thrown into mould following the blockage of the schools gate by the host communities alleging that the state government has connived with the Rector of the Poly, Rev Fr Wence Madu to relocate some vital courses including Mechanical Engineering, Electoral Engineering, some Management courses and environmental courses to Orlu and Mbano respectively.
Speaking with Journalists, the leader of the host communities forum, Prince Rollyns Ohagwam disclosed that their ulterior motive of embarking on the peaceful demonstration was to inform government that an attempt to relocate the vital courses to another location will turn Umuagwo campus to a mono-technic which the immediate past administration led by Chief Ikedi Ohakim upgraded to Polytechnic standard after its hitches and suffering as Imo State College of Agriculture.
Prince Ohagwam maintained that they are not against the wish of the Governor by making Imo Poly a multi campus institution but against relocating the existing courses from Umuagwo to another area adding that government should introduce new courses such as Mass Communication among others into the new proposed campuses rather than shifting the existing ones to there.
“We have had several meetings with the Rector and Governor where we were told that there was no plan to relocate some courses from Umuagwo to another places. We are surprised to witness speedy plan to take away some vital courses out of Umuagwo. This fact came to out knowledge via students who were asked to get prepare to relocate to Orlu. That is why we didn’t hesitate from doing everything humanity possible to ensure that the matriculation ceremony did not hold still our request is granted” he revealed.
The stakeholders’ forum leader alleged that the Rector of Imo Poly, Rev Fr Wence Madu was the cause of about 50% of the problem ravaging the Institution.
He further alleged that the Rector has employed his relations into the Institution’s work force without the process adding that Fr Madu’s block industry is the only industry incharge of all the projects in the Polytechnic. Prince Ohagwam averred that the only criterion for settlement was to sack Rev Fr Wence Madu as the Rector of Imo Poly.
Another prominent persons in the area, Chief Christopher Opara told newsmen that over 380 hectares of land occupied by the Institution without due compensation would be enough for his people who specialized in farming to boost food items if government should remove the entire courses to its desired places.
Chief Opara maintained that it is a disgrace to the entire people of Ohaji/Egbema if Imo state government should relocate the vital courses to another places and left irrelevant courses to Umuagwo campus which has been providing enabling environment for the academic activities of the Institution.
He called for the sack of the serving Acting Rector of the Poly Rev Fr Madu adding that series of protests have been going on since his inception as the Acting Rector of Imo Poly.
Chief Opara further wondered why Imo Poly graduates were disqualified from participating in the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) recently whereas the graduates have been participating in NYSC before Rev Fr Madu’s reign as the Acting Rector.
When Trumpeta reporter contacted Rev Fr Wence Madu via cell phone to ascertain his stand, he advised that Journalists should write whatever they saw.
