By Chijioke Agwu, Abakaliki
Ebonyi State House of Assembly has petitioned the Federal Government through the Federal Character Commission (FCC) against the Rector of Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana, Afikpo, Ebonyi State, Venerable Ogbonnaya Ibe-enwo, over allegations of abuse of office and irregularities in employment in the institution. The House resolved to petition the FCC against the rector during Monday plenary, June 13, 2016.
The House had earlier set up an Adhoc Committee to investigate the alleged “irregularities, lopsidedness and non-compliance to the federal character principles in the employment of staff in federal institutions in the state particularly in Federal University Ndufu Alike Ikwo (FUNAI) and the Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic Unwana.”
The matter, which was brought to the floor of the House through a motion of urgent public importance by Hon. Luke Nkwegu, representing Abakaliki South.
The Adhoc committee, which was headed by Hon Nkemka Okoro Onuma (Afikpo South West), had while presenting the report on Monday told the House that the heads of the institutions especially Rector Ibe-enwo of the Federal Polytechnic Unwana, Afikpo, and his management team “flagrantly failed to grant any of the requests made by the Adhoc committee including request to release some relevant documents in the course of the investigation.”
Okoro described the rector and his team as “recalcitrants” and urged the House to use other available options to force them comply as his committee had exhausted all avenues within its powers without success.
The Speaker of the House, Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, in his response noted that FUNAI had furnished the House with all documents it needed in the the course of the investigation and however, directed the Clerk to “write to FCC explaining in details the fraudulent activities of the rector of Akanu Ibiam Poly and his team and how they had disrespected the House all along.”
Meanwhile, the House during the plenary also set up three adhoc committees that will meet with contractors handling uncompleted roads, electricals and housing projects of the past administration of Ex-governor Martin Elechi.
The Speaker, Francis Nwifuru, named the committee in the floor of the House during plenary.
Nwifuru charged the committees to take stock of all the abandoned projects and invite the contractors concerned to explain why they had refused to complete them.
He said should any contractor fail to appear, the committees should approach the House for warrant of arrest against such contractor. The Speaker regretted that the contractors chose to abandon the projects after collecting huge fund from the state treasury, saying that such will not be tolerated.
The Deputy Speaker, Obasi Odefa, representing Onicha East will head the committee on road projects, Chike Ogiji representing Ikwo South is to chair the committee on housing projects while Hon Victor Aleke is chairing electrical project committee.
