BY AWELE OGBOGU
There were indications that the Registrar of Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku (DSPG), Mr. Jude Okocha, who was suspended from office about two weeks ago, may know his fate in the coming week as the committee set up to investigate certain activities surrounding his office is expected to submit its findings.
A source at the Registrar’s office confided in The Pointer that the committee is investigating alleged unauthorized issuance of results and certificates of the institution, following a confessional statement by a staff of the Exams and Records Department, adding that “Okocha was asked to step aside as he could not remain in office while being investigated.”
“I think it has to do with his office, not his person. There was no way he could remain as registrar when his office is under investigation. He is still our boss and we are hoping that he would be back at his duty post soon”, he said.
Recall that Okocha was conspicuously absent at the institution’s matriculation ceremony, held recently.
The source said that attention was drawn to the suspended registrar after a viral video showed the said staff, from the Exams and Records Department, coming out of Okocha’s office.
“He later told some accomplices in a conversation in the video that he had seen the registrar, although he did not disclose the subject-matter of their discussion.”
According to the source, the staff was overheard saying that the certificate forgery is one of their ways of survival as their salaries are nothing to write home about, pointing to the presence of a syndicate in the institution.
Earlier, the Governing Council of the polytechnic reportedly uncovered an alleged N500 million fraud at Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, in Aniocha South Local Council of Delta State. It was learnt that the alleged fraudulent activities were exposed by a nine-man audit and verification committee chaired by Chika Ogonwa following a thorough investigation.
After conducting thorough inquiries supported by evidence from staff across various departments, the committee had submitted its findings to the chairman of the institution’s governing council, Mr. Paul Adingwupu.
The committee was tasked with verifying and authenticating the certificates and credentials of staff, assessing their attendance records and addressing related concerns, which was said to have led to a standoff between the governing council and the school’s management.
It was learnt that the committee’s report disclosed significant discrepancies in staff employment records. According to the report, the analysis of the physical verification of staff, as provided by heads of departments and unit heads, revealed that the number of ad hoc staff stood at 357 in July 2023.
However, this figure increased to 421 by December 2023, with an additional 64 staff employed. By August 2024, the number had risen to 571, reflecting 214 ad hoc staff employment within a year.
The report also highlighted cases of duplicate payments on the ad hoc payroll. For instance, payroll serial number 433 was used to pay an individual named Obuluku Pennsylvania in April 2024.
In May 2024, the same individual received payments twice under serial numbers 433 and 465. Similarly, in May 2024, Olomu Deborah Ujiro was paid twice, using serial numbers 439 and 485.
Additionally, Okocha Adanma and Ogundipe Kome, listed as domestic servants and attached to the Registrar and the Bursar, had been on the payroll since April 2024.
