17th December, 2020
By Abankula
A forensic audit of Imo State University (IMSU) has been ordered by government which also sacked Prof. Victoria Adaobi Obasi, the vice chancellor, effective 30 December.
The government took the two decisions, amid allegations of monumental corrupt practices, as reported by a Visitation Panel.
The panel probed the university’s activities between 2012-2019.
The Executive Council of Imo State government gave the approvals on Wednesday, December 16, 2020.
It said a forensic audit of the University’s finances has become necessary if the effort of Governor Hope Uzodimma as the Visitor must not be a waste of time.
The Executive Council meeting which was presided over by Governor Uzodimma equally approved that henceforth, all admissions into Imo State University, should be strictly on merit.
It said a Committee will be set up to handle all admissions, under the leadership of the Registrar of the University.
The idea, the Council noted, is to checkmate the level of admission racketeering in the University as reported by the panel.
Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Declan Emelumba said the Council also directed that a government committee be set up to look into the allocation of hectares of land belonging to the University to developers.
The committee will determine how far such developers have used the allocation to improve the lot of the institution and make appropriate recommendations to the government.
He equally explained that Council directed the Attorney General of the State and Commissioner of Justice to identify and handover to the police for proper investigations and possibly, prosecution, all those who are running the Institute for Continuing Education Programme (ICEP) as a parallel programme of Imo State University without the approval of the Senate.
Emelumba further explained that the Council directed that a Committee be set up to look into the Prof. Jude Njoku Visitation Panel Report on Eastern Palm University and make appropriate recommendations to the Government based on the report within one week.
The idea, he said, is for Government to address the controversies surrounding the University, mostly as they concern the ownership.
With Emelumba at the briefing were the Commissioner for Transport, Rex Anunobi, Commissioner for Education, Prof. Bernard Ikegwuoha and the Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser (Media) to the Governor, Oguwike Nwachuku,