– As More Damming Information About Madu’s Activities Emerge
The last may not have been heard about the suit instituted against Community Watchdog Newspaper by the former Rector of Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo Rev Fr Wence Madu, as more damming information about the ex-Rector’s activities while in office have been exposed.
The Suit with No: HOW/905/2020 which Rev Fr Wence Madu instituted against Community Watchdog Newspaper, published by Orlu Communication for defamation of character will come up at an Owerri High Court, on June 11, 2023.
However, aside the fact that the newspaper is insisting that all the reports it published about the Rector’s activities are true, more damming information that tend to pull the rug off the ex-Rector’s defence have been exposed.
For instance, according to a source who does not want to be mentioned, the ex-Rector of Imo State Polytechnic Uwuagwo, Rev Fr Wence Madu, was an Assistant Lecturer at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO) from 1991-1995, after which he resurfaced at the Claretian Institute of philosophy, Port Harcourt in 2005, as a Senior Lecturer uptill 2007. From there, he became a Chief Lecturer on Hatis Salary Grade Level 14.2 at the Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo, in 2008’’.
There is also a copy of a letter dated April 16, 2008, with which Rev Fr Wence Madu offered temporary appointment as Lecturer II. The letter was signed by Chief D.O Egbujor as Registrar.
In 2011, he was appointed Acting Rector of the Polytechnic. He was there in Acting capacity for about one year, before he allegedly facilitated the amendment of Imo State of Nigeria Law No 15 to enable him enjoy a single un-renewable 5year tenure as Rector instead of the 4year tenure that was existing before he assumed office’’.
The source further stated that, ‘’the disturbing aspect of the scenario was that, after spending one year or thereabout in acting capacity and five years as substantive Rector, Rev Fr Madu, refused to vacate office after his tenure, event after the state government had appointed Engr Dr Kinsley Ikebudu, to replace him as Rector of the institution, vide a letter dated May, 20, 2019’’.
It was also gathered that there were discrepancies in some of the documents the ex-Rector filled and submitted in respect of his service record. For instance, while he claimed in one of the documents that he was a Chief Lecturer as at 2008, he, in a document dated May, 31, 2010 which he personally signed, requested for the confirmation of his appointment as a Chief Lecturer.
The letter which Rev Fr Wence Madu addressed to the Registrar, Imo State Polytechnic Umuagwo, through the Head, Department of Medical Sciences, was captioned, ‘’Request for confirmation of appointment’’.
A staff of the Polytechnic who commented on the development, said, ‘’the information in the former Rector’s service records are questionably conflicting. How could he have claimed in a document he personally filled and submitted to the institution that he was a Chief Lecturer in 2008, while he applied for confirmation of his position as a Chief Lecturer, in a letter dated May, 31, 2010? There seems to be a missing link somewhere’’.
Continuing, the source said, Rev Fr Wenc Madu’s rise to the position of Rector from when he was offered temporary appointment as Lecturer 11, vide a letter dated April, 16, 2008 is not only questionable but shrouded in mystery.
Besides, his refusal to vacate office after being at the helm of affairs for over six years, contrary to the guidelines of the polytechnic, created tension, rancor and acrimony in the institution’’.
As if that was not enough, there were also allegations of financial impropriety and lack of prudence in the disbursement of funds. All these created problems between the management, the academic and non-academic staff unions in the Polytechnic’’
