Beginning from the day this column debuted late September 2011 when Trumpeta hit the newsstands; I have always avoided joining issues with people or readers over frivolities. Because my views are constructive expressions borne out of an independent minded outburst, I tried to open feed back channels for those who have reservations about my write ups.
If I did not apologize to any person I misrepresent or misquote, I refer their refuttals or reactions to Trumpeta “Right of Reply” column, as ethics of the job demands.
However, my recent commentary “Time To Weep For Imo State Polytechnic” did not go down well with some wild and partisan folks who do not know how to relay their feelings across. I owe nobody any apology so far as my views are on points of facts and devoid of selfish colouration.
I don’t think I am against anybody, group or persons in my decision to focus on the rot going on at Imo Poly in Agwodinuju column.
It is pertinent to note that as a toddler, I went to farm with my parents in the land measuring not less than 380 hectares which the Imo state government acquired from the host community in 1977 without adequate compensation till date and watched with keen interest the construction of the first building, which is the old administrative block when my late uncle who retired as a staff of the institution, Mr Columba Mejuobi took me at the back of his bicycle to the school far back as 1979. Some rabble rousers exposing their uninformed verbiage on Imp Poly were nowhere to be found and never knew they will talk about affairs of the school twenty years after.
I also met and knew former Rector’s of the school, Prof Izugbokwe, Prof Ohiagu, Prof Fabian Osuji, Dr Samson Nwosu, Prof Amadioha and lately Sir Eugene Ogu before the incumbent Fr Wence Madu stepped in. As a seasoned pen pusher I exposed the infrastructural decay that took the school I did several write ups to call the attention of Achike Udenwa government to high level infrastructure kwashiorkor plaguing the school. I have also handled media relation and image management for the institution without financial inducement. The incumbent Registrar, Mrs Ann Njemanze can bear me witness that on various occasions I mobilized newsmen to uplift the image of the newly converted poly when she acted as the Public Relations Officer, PRO, of the school. I have no reasons to pull down a house I laboured to build. As Chief Press Secretary to Speaker in 2007-2011, I was among the delegation that sent and followed a proposal to Niger Delta Ministry in Abuja for construction of a vital structure in the school.
And it was my love for the growth of the institution that made me to raise alarm of impending doom when things started going awry in the school. I have nothing against the present Rector Rev Fr Madu as a person as some traducers would attempt to express in their wily- washy views.
If priesthood was my vocation, I would have become a cleric like Fr Madu because I went to the seminary but God knew why he prefred me to write, inform and educate the public and readers. As a Catholic and Knight of St John’s International, Fr Madu should have also been a strategic partner in taking Imo Ploy to greater height since I am also a stakeholder. I was elated when Fr Madu came on board as Rector even as his appointment fell short of the required standard enshrined in Imo Poly law for appointment of a substantive head of school management.
Agreed that Fr Madu is a priest, he cannot be said to be infallible. In Canon law, the legal book of the Church, it is only the Pope that is only infallible in matters that relate to catholic doctrine. Therefore, if a priest like Fr Madu takes charge of a public institution, he cannot be a saint too, because the mother of a perfect being has not been born yet.
By next week I will continue on salient issues concerning Imo Poly and the balkanization of courses as well as reflect on half truths and warped concoction some helpless pen mercantilists working for Fr Madu tried in vain to sell to the public about the theatre of absurdities rocking Imo Poly. For now please make due with what the stakeholders told Archbishop Obinna when they took their case to Assumpta Cathedral.
With due regards and greetings from our Lord Jesus Christ, the Imo Polytechnic Stakeholders Forum, an organization comprising host communities of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo in Ohaji/Egbema LGA have considered it necessary to once again bring to your notice the inglorious activities of the Rector of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo Ohaji, and a Catholic Priest, Rev Fr Wence Madu. (CMF)
For the umpteenth time, it has become necessary to intimate our Lord Bishop how Fr Madu’s style of leadership is not only fanning the embers of discord in the polytechnic community, but also acting in a manner capable of causing disaffection between the Imo State Government and the host communities.
This notification became necessary in view of the fact that Rev Fr Madu is a resident Priest domiciled at St. Patrick’s Catholic Parish, Mgbirichi Ohaji/Egbema, part of the stakeholders and considering that the host communities are predominantly Catholics without trace of schisms with the universal Church of Christ.
It might interest the shepherd of the Catholic Church in our Archdiocese that Imo State Government between 1978/79 acquired about 380 hectares of land without adequate compesation for the purposes of building an agric-related institution for the old Imo. Successive military regimes contributed to its development until our nascent democracy debuted when ex-governor Achike Udenwa upgraded the school and renamed it Michael Okpara College of Agriculture and Technology (MOCATECH) from ordinary Michael Okpara College of Agriculture, (MOCA).
However, the post secondary School which has witnessed a chequered history got a face lift and change of status when the administration of Ikedi Ohakim within six months after being sworn-in further improved on what he met by raising the status from monotechnic to polytechnic and renamed it Imo State Polytechnic.
Ohakim’s action was as a result of the increasing desire of residents of the state and Imolites to acquire polytechnic education considering the fact that the only existing polytechnic in the state, the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, belongs to the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Besides, the state lost out in federal government grants due to polytechnics from Tetfund and ETF. More so, graduates of the school were not granted waiver again to mobilize her graduate students to undertake the mandatory one year NYSC programme because of monotechnic status.
The hallmark of polytechnic status not only introduced non agric dominated course like Engineering and management but also restored the institution in the map of NYSC compliant schools, unlike today where the reverse is the case. Remarkably, HND and OND courses in all the departments commenced immediately.
But the coming of Okorocha government and indeed appointment of Fr Madu as acting Rector and later substantive head of the institution heralded season of misfortune in the institution and by extension the host communities who are at the receiving end of unwarranted political induced balkanization and removal of vital courses that qualified it as a polytechnic, from Umuagwo to the so called Orlu and Mbano Campuses.
while the host communities do not object to government plans to run a multi-campus system since the people have no history of challenging constituted authorities and government directives, it is pertinent to note that Fr Madu is reported to be conniving with those that can be described as modern day neo-colonialists to discriminate and deny the host communities part of the so called dividends of democracy. To pacify key players of the government who disregarded laid down procedures to appoint him Rector, Fr Madu who was not qualified to act and be appointed Rector has become the architect and prime executioner of the relocation plot.
When it was discovered that government has concluded plans to relocate majority of the courses to Mbano and Orlu for petty selfish and political reasons, we embarked on peaceful protest in June last year. After three days of continuous demonstration which is allowed as a civic right under democracy, the state governor, Okorocha requested to have audience with us at the Government House Owerri. Luckily, Fr Madu was present and we all listened to His Excellency who said that “government has no plans to take away or relocate any course existing in Umuagwo to any campus” adding that we only acted based on unconfirmed rumour peddled by enemies of government and confusionist wanting to use the people to attack his government.
The views and positions of the government were relayed in both government and private owned media establishments. What Okorocha finally said was that “the multi-campus will run affiliate courses just like ALVAN does to UNN” and no course will move.
Armed with that satisfactory explanation, the protests ended. However, contrary to the decision of the state government and the governor, Fr Madu went ahead to take away the vital courses that changed the status from monotechnic to polytechnic. When we got wind of this, our people visited him where he denied on several occasions insisting that no course mounted in Imo Poly, Umuagwo will be run at Mbano and Orlu campuses.
A day after we left, Fr Madu again directed Staff and Lecturers of School of Engineering, namely Electrical, Mechanical, Computer to get set for onward movement to Orlu for possible resumption in September last year for the 2013/2014 academic session. Same applies to those in Marketing, Cooperative Studies and Economics and Computer Science departments who were also mandated to move to Mbano. Fr Madu during an interactive session debunked the allegation claiming we are victims of misinformation. To allay our fears about the relocation, the Governing council led by Prof Victor Kogha in a letter co-signed by the Register, Mrs Ann Njemanze while denying the relocation plan reiterated that no course will leave Umuagwo.
In spite of the verbal and written reassurances from the governor, state government, Governing Council and Management of Imo Poly that no existing department will depart Umuagwo to the new campuses, Fr Madu has surreptitiously taken away vital courses and posted core staffers of the school to Orlu and Mbano for Engineering and Management courses respectively.
It is worthy to note that the host communities since the existence of the school have been hospitable and never engaged in any form of skirmishes with either the state government or management for any purpose. We have maintained cordiality and partnered with authorities of the school for years.
Remarkably, we must confess that Fr. Madu has acted below expectation and turned into a willing tool in the hands of desperate politicians in their desire to “rob Peter to pay Paul” by using Umuagwo campus of Imo Poly as the sacrificial lamb to other areas.
Taking into consideration, Fr. Madu’s age and number of years in the Lord’s vineyard as a priest, we had expected him to have used his good wisdom, knowledge and experience to avoid certain pitfalls and resist the urge of being used to institute anarchy and confusion between the host communities and Imo State government.
Besides, Fr. Madu’s administrative style speaks volume of the cleric’s avowed hate campaign and non consideration of the land owners in the scheme of things, which are in contrast to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), government has with the Umuagwo people, the direct host community.
Recall that in an earlier letter advanced to our Lord Bishop, sometime last year, we showcased about 300 persons Fr. Madu gave employments under various categories since he assumed office as Rector without considering any person from the immediate host community worthy of employment. Even as he was induced into considering few indigenes for employment recently, the Father Rector jettisoned the interest of the host community again during employment for the Imo Poly Micro Finance Bank, where of the 20- man staff strength, non from Umuagwo was given job opportunity.
The Rector engages in anti tribalism landlord polices and indulges in obnoxious laws that do not mean well for the Polytechnic Community. Contrary to what is obtained in other higher institutions in the state, Fr. Madu established a pure waters brand, factory tagged “Imo Poly Water” and banned selling of other pure water in the Institution, except the one he established, thereby erasing healthy competition which inadvertently affects the economic status of the people within the polytechnic. His privately owned block industry located right inside the Poly compound is the sole supplier of blocks for all the projects inside the polytechnic. Contractors are not allowed to buy blocks elsewhere, except from his block industry. Those who tried it were sanctioned.
While it is sacred to state that we are not against multi campus system for Imo Poly suffice it to note that the host communities are piqued at the rate and desperate attempt of the state government in connivance with the Rector to implement a bill that did not follow laid down procedures in the House of Assembly; a law similar to the controversial but repealed Abortion Law of 2012.
We are also aware of the multi campus status of IMSU which has not been achieved till date. Therefore, why Imo Poly? and what does government propelled by Fr Madu want to achieve by balkanizing the departments? It is also important to note that for a multi campus to exist, there must be Institutional Resource Accreditation of the area by the supervising body NUC/NBTE as the case may be, before the campus/departments become operational. None of these inspections were carried out by NBTE for Imo Poly and the school runs risk of closure because NBTE does not know Ehime Mbano campus and has not visited the place for the required institutional accreditation. The question being asked is why carrying courses accredited at Umuagwo main campus to Orlu and Mbano where NBTE has not inspected and granted approval?
For instance, Cooperative Economics that has existed for about five years in Umuagwo and won accreditation at Umuagwo with necessary facilities like farmland already established for the department, supermarket for the Dept, availability of fish pond and pineapple orchards as resource facilities has been taken to Mbano where such facilities do not exist.
What is the rationale in running Computer Science and Business Management in Umuagwo, Orlu, Mbano at the same time? What is the essence of duplication and what purposes when the institution is still at tender age and suffering from paucity of funds? How would the respective teachers coordinate their classes considering the distance among the various campuses and which state or Federal Poly has it been practiced before in any state of the nation?
The Electrical Engineering it claimed passed Resource Inspection at Orlu Campus, may have been so because expensive mechatronics equipment in Umuagwo were shamelessly moved to Orlu in broad day light and in full glare of workers and students to make up for obsolete and moribund machines at TSAC Orlu. Why not take any valuable things in Orlu to Umuagwo if those in charge are sincere and mean well for the school? There are numerous Engineering buildings at Umuagwo where the Engineering courses would perfectly fit in. How can the Engineering students be in Orlu Campus and undertake regular practical at Umuagwo? Does the state government have what it takes to execute such expensive projects?
On a final note, the non-granting of institutional approval by NBTE before the multi-campus becomes operational runs foul of the regulations obtainable in academic standard. The management of Imo Poly and indeed Imo State government are running a risk of sanctions ranging from possible closure and non recognition of the courses mounted in the multi campuses by NBTE, at the end, the students would be the greatest loosers.
We rest our case, Sir.
