By: Sunday Ameh
The crisis rocking Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, has intensified following the suspension of the Rector, Bursar, and Registrar by Governor Sheriff Oborevwori over alleged administrative and financial misconduct.
The governor, in a statement signed by the Secretary to the State Government, Kingsley Emu, announced that the affected officials — Rector, Prof. Emmanuel Achuenu; Bursar, Lawrence Ahwabighe; and Registrar, Jude Okocha — have been suspended for six months to allow for a “thorough and unbiased investigation.”
The decision followed a report adopted by the Delta State House of Assembly’s ad-hoc committee, chaired by Emeka Nwaobi, which accused the officials of certificate racketeering and financial irregularities. The Assembly subsequently directed the governor to take disciplinary action.
However, the suspension has sparked backlash among lecturers and senior staff, who allege that the move was politically motivated and orchestrated by the institution’s Governing Council Chairman, Paul Adingwupu, in connivance with certain state officials.
A lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication accused Adingwupu of “using the polytechnic as his private estate,” citing questionable multi-million-naira expenditures and alleged financial mismanagement.
Documents obtained by SaharaReporters show that the suspended management team had previously petitioned the Commissioner for Higher Education, accusing Adingwupu of financial misappropriation, intimidation, and illegal interference in the school’s affairs.
The petition detailed instances where the chairman allegedly received over ₦11.5 million in personal claims, bypassed procurement procedures, awarded contracts without due process, and demanded access to the polytechnic’s bank alerts.
In solidarity with the suspended management, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Ogwashi-Uku chapter, declared a two-week strike, demanding the release of the government’s white paper on the crisis and the dissolution of the current governing council.
A police report obtained by SaharaReporters reportedly exonerated the suspended officials from allegations of certificate forgery, instead faulting the Governing Council Chairman for overstepping his authority and unilaterally suspending staff in violation of due process.
Efforts to reach Adingwupu for comments proved unsuccessful, but a close associate told reporters that “Paul will not respond; he has already achieved what he wanted — the suspension of the rector and others.”
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