Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Ohaji/Egbema LGA have embarked on street protest against the continued stay of the Rector of the Institution, Rev Fr Wence Madu.
Imo Poly has been in the news in recent times bordering on several issues especially the plan by the state government and management of the school to balkanize it and take several existing courses away to two new campuses created in other areas.
Not less than 1000 youths chanting solidarity songs and armed with placards stormed Assumpta Cathedral, Owerri, to inform the Archbishop of Owerri Diocese, Archbishop Anthony Obinna about the alleged contribution of the Rector, who is a Catholic Priest, to government plans of removing the courses.
The protesting youths who stormed Assumpta during the monthly meeting of Catholic Priests in Owerri Diocese disclosed that Fr Madu is the architect of the plan by government to remove vital courses and rolling the school back to the College of Agriculture days, seven years after it was made a Polytechnic.
According to one of the spokes persons who met with the press “Fr Madu is behind the plot and have insisted in removing the course after government has said no course is moving out of Umuagwo. When we first protested, the governor in the presence of the Rector told and reassured us that nothing is moving out. Not a course will move out. He said it is a fallacy that we should not worry or panic about the matter. We respected and agreed with the governor’s statements. However, Fr Madu continued removing courses through secret means. We also met the priest, he reassured us and repeated that nothing will move out. But today, the reverse is the case, he has gone ahead.
“That is why we have come to the Church headquarters. He is a Claretian priest serving in a parish in our area. We have come to tell the Church, the Archdiocese after previous petitions on his activities”
On the relocation plan, Prince Rollyngs Ohagwam disclosed that the host communities do not object to the plan and can not kick against orders of constituted authorities. Rather what they said was for the state government to mount and run fresh courses in the new campuses rather than carry away old and existing ones at the Umuagwo campus.
“It is unfortunate government is not sincere in this matter and is painting us black. While they are telling us nothing is moving out, they have gone ahead to push out courses to other places thereby questioning the integrity and morality of the Rector, Fr Madu who is a Catholic priest serving in one of our parishes before his appointment as Rector”, he added.
The host communities enjoined the Church to ask for Madu to resign or ask government to relieve him of the appointment to avoid unwarranted hostilities.
After the visit to Assumpta, the protesting team moved to Claretian Missionaries Complex at Nekede Old Road in Owerri West to reel out their grievances.
They were addressed by the Cathedral Administrator, Fr Andrew Nkwocha and Provincial Administrator of CMF, Fr Ihedoro at Assumpta Cathedral and CMF Complex respectively.
