••Delta State Govt is aware, the institution has an excellent accreditation record says Commissioner for Higher Education

By Matthias Ogbagah

OGWASHI-UKU – The Governing Council of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku has slammed the polytechnic’s Rector, Buldr. (Prof) Emmanuel Achuenu was suspended for six months for offences involving financial improprieties, gross misconduct, high-handedness, and other related offences.

The suspension of the embattled Rector was contained in a letter signed by the Chairman, Governing Council, Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, Hon. (Pastor) Paul Adingwupu, and copied to the Executive Governor, Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori and the Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Higher Education.

The letter accused the Rector of spending far above the Council’s approved sum for accreditation of courses. Dissatisfied with the unauthorized spending of the institution’s Rector, the Council at its 56th meeting resolved and issued him a query for explanation on 16th April, 2025.

But at the Council’s 57th regular meeting of 27th June, 2025, the Council considered his response dated 23rd April, 2025, to the query as unsatisfactory.

The Council according to the letter, at the above meeting, issued him another letter dated 30th June, 2025, stating thirteen (13) count charges against him bothering on gross misconduct and financial improprieties and requested he appears before it on Thursday, 3rd July 2025 to give his defense but refused to appear before the Council.

The letter said consequent upon his refusal to appear, the Council unanimously resolved that Buldr. (Prof) Achuenu, be suspended from office as Rector, for six months taking effect from 4th July, 2025, and should hand over all properties of the Polytechnic in his possession to the Deputy Rector with immediate effect.

The Governing Council of the institution at its 57th Regular Meeting of 27th June, 2025, considered the Rector’s representation to its query dated 23rd April, 2025, as displeasure for having exceeded the approved amount of money by N42,000,000.

It was also noted that the Rector had ignored the proviso that he could call on the Governing Council Chairman in case he needed additional funds for the accreditation exercise, hence, the Council deemed his response inadequate and unacceptable.

The letter which reads in parts, stated as follows:
“Council at its 56th Regular Meeting of 16th April, 2025 approved the sum of 69,000,000 for the Polytechnic’s Accreditation exercise. From your report, it was observed that you spent one hundred and eleven million, eight hundred and sixty thousand naira only.

“You spent forty-two million over the approved sum of money by the Council. Besides, the Council noted other Infractions as indicated below: Preventing the governing Council from holding its scheduled statutory meetings.

“Disrespectful conduct such as lateness to council meetings, talking down to the Council Chairman/Members, and also staging angry walkouts from meetings. Refusal to implement the Council’s decisions concerning the two-week suspension of the Registrar and Bursar of the institution.

“Illegal employment of Nineteen (19) permanent staff without recourse to the Council. Unauthorized employment of two hundred and fourteen ad-hoc staff. Sales of Polytechnic assets without the Council’s approval are a breach of the Delta State government auctioneering law.

“Unlawful diversion of Polytechnic funds into the Registrar’s account for purchases of unauthorized vehicles for principal officers, contrary to extant financial regulatory laws of Delta State.

“Unexplained spending of the sum of Three Million, Nine Hundred and Twenty Naira (N3,920,000) as balance payment for Principal Officers’ generators, which had been fully paid for in 2023.

“Release of Six Million Naira (N6,000,000) to a contractor, Chulico Best Ventures, for the renovation of the Polytechnic Event Center even when no work has commenced on the site. The illegal approval of the sum of Fifteen Million Naira (N15,000,000) for the repair of solar lights, contrary to the MOU signed between the Polytechnic and the solar company.

“Illegal withdrawals from the NIPOGA accounts.Disobedience to the Council’s directive to remove the names of nineteen (19) dead and absconded staff from the State Government payroll.”

When contacted on the allegations, the embattled Rector of the Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic, Prof. Emmanuel Achuenu, said the allegations were baseless, that he was appointed to develop the school and that he has been doing so for the past years.

Prof. Achuenu said the school’s Governing Council Chairman and its members have been battling with him since last year, even when they didn’t have the constitutional right to suspend him.

The Honourable Commissioner, Ministry of Higher Education, Prof. Nyerovwo Tonikari, who was also contacted on the allegations, said the government is already on the matter, saying that the Deputy Governor, Secretary to the State Government, is already aware, and that the school has an excellent accreditation record.

Speaking further, Prof. Tonikari outlined some of the achievements of the Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic, pointing out that all Programmes in the Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku are accredited and approved with an increase in carrying capacity, and that the Institution has introduced more than 25 new programmes in the last 3 years.

He said the school has established a Solar energy laboratory and training of students on skills on solar energy in addition to the establishment of a Skills development centre and has constructed and furnished a 300-capacity lecture hall from IGR, while Microsoft Academy is operating in Ogwash Polytechnic with world-class SLT laboratories.