By Chidinma Onyeananam
Following an earlier report carried by this newspaper concerning suspected uneasy calm in the Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, community, over who will become the next Rector after the tenure of the incumbent, the management has come up to allay fears stating that there is nothing like interference or interest from any quarter.
Trumpeta had in Tuesday edition of the newspaper carried a story following an alarm raised by a group who is not only suspecting of foul play but went ahead to accuse top officials of attempt to interfere in the process.
But in an reaction from the management addressed to the newspaper, it described the report as false and malicious against the Integrity of the Rector.
The rejoinder to the newspaper signed by Barr M.C Chikwuma, for and on behalf of the management described the publication as not only “malicious but also false and allegations built around it, most unfounded”.
The management against the position of the suspicious group who are raising the alarm notes, “ the election of Academic Board representative on the selection committee was rancorless and in print, neither were the two representatives members of the management nor were they loyal to the Rector.
A Trumpeta correspondent who is monitoring proceedings concerning the process of selection of a Rector observed that it was a section of the school who raised the fear.
The management of the newspaper has no intention to malign the image of the Rector or Management as efforts to get the side of the Rector before press time failed. The management also regrets the embrassesment or inconviences the said publication may have caused them since the true side of the story has been obtained from them over the development.
Meanwhile, the Registrar, Federal Polytechnic, Nekede, Owerri, Mr Iloba Matthew Aligbe has debunked rumours making the rounds that there is crisis in the Rectorship selection process of the institution as published by a state tabloid describing it as scandalous.
Speaking with Trumpeta in his office, Mr Aligbe stated that such report ought to be verified before publication, adding that the unidentified persons failed to verify before soiling the name of an institution, whose adherence to due process cannot be quantified.
Mr Aligbe said “we have maintained a very good relationship, coming into the school, you wouldn’t even know we have started the process in the institution. We don’t have crisis in the selection process in the institution. We started by following due process, sent advert to federal ministry of education, federal character, I don’t know where the man or woman is getting the crisis from. We are still in the selection process, and the council will soon conclude, hoping that a substantive rector will succeed Dr Mrs C. Njoku. The Rector is just one person, she can’t handpick”.
Mr Aligbe further stated that the Rector, Dr Mrs Njoku did not nominate anybody during the meeting, saying, “you should know her caliber of person, if she is biased, she would have not let the advert known to the Academic Board (AB), and furthermore, Academic Board alone cannot select the Rector”
Speaking on the role of Academic Board, Mr Aligbe said the selection process is championed by the governing council and Academic Board in the presence of the institutionalized federal character involved in the process.
“three (3) people will be recommended by the governing council and AB and sent to the president of the federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammed Buhari through federal ministry of education for appointment of any of them deemed fit. As I earlier said, the publication is orchestrated by mischief makers and disgruntled people. I am advising members of the polytechnic community and Imolites to desist from carrying fake rumours that will distract the peace of the institution” Mr Aligbe said.
Responding to the publication during an assembly, a visual display of the meeting where the said selection process took place for clarification purpose was showed. The rector of federal polytechnic Nekede Dr Mrs Celestine Njoku expressed shock to the fact that she did not hand pick any member of the academic board during the meeting as reported. “ I am conscious of the environment I belong, I won’t play with the welfare of my staff and students, I know most of you will be shocked when it was happening, I was only calling on God, we should be careful in anything we do and posses Christian virtues”, she submitted.
