A wave of controversy has engulfed Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, following reports that the institution’s Registrar, Dr. Jude Okocha, under circumstanced that have sparked heated public debate. Online platforms were quick to circulate a bizarre story alleging high-handedness by the Governing Council, led by Hon. Paul Adingwupu, with accusations ranging from abuse of office and haughtiness to disregard for due process.
However, after careful inquiry, supported by under-cover interviews and document analysis, a different picture has emerged, discrediting the earlier reportage that was deeply rooted in vendetta, without recourse to accountability, due process and institutional reforms.
The initial public outrage stemmed from a sponsored protest to the Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalist, Delta State Chapel, by paid placard-carrying and misguided youths under the banner of Concerned Youths of Ogwashi-Uku Kingdom.
The group, acting on behalf of their paymasters had accused the Council of unilaterally suspending the Registrar and other staff without due process. Even though the action aimed to manipulate public perception against the Governing Council, critics have described the protesters claims as naïve and misinformed.
However, independent investigations have revealed that the Registrar’s suspension was not abrupt, arbitrary, or outside the jurisdiction of the Council but followed due process. According to a cross section management staff who pleaded anonymity, the emergence of this current Council has been a blessing.
In their view, this Council has consistently focused on its mandate and oversight functions. The concerned management staff also drew attention to some illegalities and financial mismanagement within the system. Apart from engaging over 200 ad hoc staff without authorization from the Council, the principal officers also failed to pay the staff until the intervention of the Council.
It was gathered that at one instance, the Rector, Professor Emmanuel Achuenu misappropriated over 48 million naira meant for accreditation purposes for which he was queried by the Council. Now, we just heard that the Council has suspended further approval until the outstanding issues surrounding the 48 million naira and other financial impropriety linked to him are resolved.
And in a bid to frustrate any further inquiry into his financial mismanagement and activities, the Rector and his co-travellers, according to these concerned staff members, have vowed to sabotage any move for the Council to seat and discredit their efforts.
More revelations also emerged from another concerned group within the polytechnic community who are aggrieved over the complicity of some principal staff in an attempt to undermine the integrity and reputation of the institution. This group drew attention to the recent scandal of certificate racketeering which came to limelight through another undercover journalist.
“As staff, we feel very embarrassed about the ignominious act and the negative publicity it has generated. Watching the scandal on national television leaves a sour taste in the mouth. This is in addition to putting the fate of hundreds of innocent and hardworking students who would have earned their certificate legitimately, in the balance.
On the campus, the rumour mill is also agog with tales of nepotism, absenteeism and other malfeasance, all pointing in the direction of the Rector, and the Registrar. These concerned staff members were also unanimous on the Rector’s usual long absence from work, sometimes, for weeks on end. Most people in the school now know that the Rector is always away under the pretence of official duty in Abuja.
They emphasised that his frequent absence from the institution disrupts the smooth running of the school’s administration processes. “Sadly, it often feels that there’s no one steering the ship”, said a senior staff member.
More worrisome, according to sources, is the climate of fear that appears to have engulfed the polytechnic community. People now talk in hush tones for fear of victimization from the principal staff led by the Rector. This is in addition to the attempts to undermine and indicted Council authority, including sabotaging meetings.
The investigative journalist’s findings also revealed that the Rector, Professor Achuenu is complicit in the scandals rocking the institution for which the governing Council is out to checkmate. So, no one is surprised by the desperation and campaign of calumny orchestrated against the Council by some of these principal actors. What once appeared like a straightforward matter is now complicated by vested interests that are bent on circumventing the wheel of progress of the institution.
Sources within the institution, speaking anonymously, described a litany of issues linked to Dr. Jude Okocha, the suspended registrar and his accomplices. These allegations include multiple breaches of administrative procedures and questionable handling of sensitive institutional matters; including the recent scandal of certificate racketeering, a grievous offense aimed to undermine the public confidence and jeopardize the integrity of the products of the institution.
From available evidence, the registrar has always been embroiled in controversy. For instance, in 2018, though a Deputy Registrar at that time, Okocha was accused of aiding a certain Charles Nduka, a staff in the polytechnic who was dismissed over a case of certificate racketeering. According to sources, Okocha actually colluded with others to reinstate Nduka who had earlier been relieved of his appointment.
This act, according to internal sources, set a dangerous precedent and highlighted a long-standing pattern of compromise on ethical standards.
Now, corruption seems to be fighting back with venom, to the extent of dragging the good people of Ogwashi-Uku community into a needless and mindless controversy.
The question on the lips of discerning members of the public is: When did it become a breach of community peace or a threat to public order to query a Registrar or any other management staff for that matter over an identified administrative lapses or financial impropriety? Therefore, many believe strongly that any attempt by these concerned staff to criminalize legitimate governance actions are not only mischievous but dangerously misleading and should be condemned in strong terms if we truly want to clean-up the rot in our individual space and Nigerian space.
Another question borders on what would have inspired the leaders the so-called youths of Ogwashi-Uku that stormed the Nigeria Union of Journalists’ Council in Asaba to protest over a duly suspended principal staff of a state government’s institution. The protesters led by a certain Comrade Humble Ochei and Tony Obichie, the Deputy Leader under the aegis of Ogwasi-Uku Development Association, ODA, the group’s naivety and brazenness leave much to be desired. This is a poor commentary on the youth, at a time when much is expected from young people as a bastion of hope for the future that the country seeks.
Others who spoke on the condition of anonymity were deeply concerned over how a routine administrative measure rooted in accountability and good administrative governance is now being manipulated by certain vested interests and misrepresented as a “crisis” where there is none. This action, they believe, is not only disingenuous but a deliberate attempt to weaponize public sentiment against institutional reform. Again, this paints an ugly picture of a desperate and coordinated pushback by those who wish to continue the culture of impunity, profligacy and the plundering of available resources meant for the polytechnic.
In some quarters, there is a strong belief that if anything undermines peace and progress in Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic today, it is the toxic resistance to lawful authority and a refusal by some individuals to submit to institutional discipline. This punctures the allegation and the narrative of high-handedness by the Governing Council. Those in the know can attest to the fact that due process was followed, including issuing queries, inviting explanations, and convening disciplinary review sessions before arriving at the decision to suspend.
Records also show that the Registrar was afforded the opportunity to respond in writing and appear before a panel, which is consistent with Civil Service Rules and the Polytechnic’s regulatory framework.
Another source, in a bid to drive home his point, added that “this is the first time in many years that we are seeing real oversight functions from a Governing Council. But of course, those benefiting from the old ways are pushing back and this is expected. This is not about the community. It’s about those who want to keep the system porous for personal gains. The Council, it appears, has drawn a line, and now they are fighting back. Unfortunately, not through reason of facts, but through spurious allegations and an attempt to whip up unnecessary community sentiments.”
Indeed, insiders point to a long history of administrative laxity, including the alleged certificate racketeering scandal that rocked the institution, particularly the one of 2024. The matter, which was initially swept under the carpet, was eventually revisited by the current Council after whistle-blowers raised fresh alarms, thereby putting further pressure on those complicit in the malpractice.
Under Nigeria’s tertiary education laws and institutional guidelines, Governing Councils have the legal authority to discipline senior staff, including registrars, in cases of misconduct, provided due process is followed. Based on documents reviewed, this procedural standard was met.
And if the public must take sides, it should be with truth, due process, accountability and the future of education in Delta State.
However, when contacted for his own side of the story, Dr. Jude Okocha, the Registrar declined comment but rather advised the journalist to call the Rector. In his words: “I don’t know about the protest. I have a lot of problem I’m confronting now. I didn’t ask anybody to protest on my behalf.”
On the other hand, the Rector, when contacted, equally said: “I don’t want to speak to the public now until the government finishes its investigation on the certificate racketeering issue.”
In summation, the Registrar’s suspension is not only justified but also grounded in the legal authority of the Council. In the interim stakeholders have called for calm and urged the State Government to investigate the matter thoroughly, ensure due process, and protect the sanctity of institutional governance in Delta State’s higher education system.
The bigger question which appears to be on the minds of everyone is whether the polytechnic community and general public will stand behind the fight for due process and accountability or allow misinformation, misappropriation and emotional appeal to derail the much-needed institutional reforms at Ogwashi-Uku Polytechnic and the Nigerian society.