Certificate Scandal, Corruption Rock Nigerian College Of Education, Asaba As Provost, Top Officials Allegedly Cover Up

The scandals are allegedly being covered up by the Provost of Federal College Of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State, Josephine Anene-Okeakwa, the deputy provost, N. Ndika and other top management staff of the institution.

The Federal College Of Education Technical, Asaba, Delta State is currently enmeshed in certificate forgery and age falsification, allegedly involving the institution’s computer analyst, one Emmanuel Okey Okonta, former bursar of the school, J.O. Osakwe and others, SaharaReporters has gathered.

The scandals are allegedly being covered up by the Provost of Federal College Of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State, Josephine Anene-Okeakwa, the deputy provost, N. Ndika and other top management staff of the institution.

Dr. Mrs. Anene-Okeakwa, the Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, Delta State.

A top management staff of the institution who confided in SaharaReporters disclosed that following some certain interests, corruption and fraudulent practices are rife and always covered up in the school.

He said, “Federal government loses several millions of naira every year to corruption and fraudulent practices in this school. My school is a den of corruption, certificate forgery and age falsification just to remain in office. I am a senior management staff of the institution and I know what is happening. Our provost is extremely corrupt; I have never seen anyone so engrossed in corruption and fraudulent activities like her.

“In fact she is synonymous with corruption. We have even lost count of petitions written against her bothering on corruption and fraudulent activities in the school. Now she, the deputy and others are sitting on the case of forgery and age falsification against our computer analyst, Emmanuel Okey Okonta, who fraudulently converted to senior lecturer and the former bursar of the school, J.O. Osakwe who falsified his age to perpetually remain in service and others.

“And anyone who dares raise eyebrows concerning these above issues or any issue concerning corruption which she has interest in, such a person must be sanctioned.”

Meanwhile, the Concerned Academia Of Asaba, civil society group in affiliation to Amnesty International, has raised the alarm over what it called “series” of certificate forgery and age falsification and heavy corruption going on in the Federal College.

In a petition by the civil society group, titled “Abuse Of Office/Attempt To Cover Up Criminal Offence, Activities In Federal College Of Education Technical, Asaba, Delta State”, signed by Obi Ifeanyi, addressed to the Executive Secretary, National Commission For Colleges Of Education, Abuja, and obtained by SaharaReporters, the group called for deep investigations.

The group said, “We write to bring to your notice the abuse of powers of office and other fraudulent activities being perpetrated by the Provost of Federal College Of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta state, Dr. (Mrs ) Josephine Anene-Okeakwa in conjunction with her management team and ask for your urgent investigations.”

The petition which copied the Minister of Education, Abuja, Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Abuja, and Chairman, governing council, Federal College Of Education Technical, Asaba, noted that “As a matter of fact, the provost, since assumption of office in April, 2019, has been perpetrating illegal activities using the enormous powers of her office. Our investigations on the provost revealed so many of her illegalities within the college community.

“Our preliminary investigations into Okonta’s claims of age falsification shows that the deputy provost of the college, Ndika, the registrar, Adepoju, Ibahifidon Ehimem, the former bursar, J. O. Osakwe and a host of other chief lecturers and deputy registrars whose salary runs between N285,000 to N45,000 were involved in age falsification.

“In another vein, it has been discovered that the management of the Federal College Of Education Technical, Asaba, led by the Provost, Dr. (Mrs ) Josephine Anene-Okeakwa, fraudulently operating several bank accounts in commercial banks in Asaba, Delta state as against the Treasury Single Account(TSA), approved by the federal government. One of such fraudulent accounts is Fidelity Bank with account number 5210038147 with account name, Federal College Of Education (Technical) Asaba, which is being used to defraud students, staff and contractors.

“Based on the foregoing, we humbly crave your indulgence, and therefore request you to use your office to cause a discreet and thorough investigation to be carried out into the issues raised in this petition so as to save the college and to bring the perpetrators of this illegality to book as public office is a position of public trust.”
When contacted, the Provost, Federal College Of Education Technical, Josephine Anene-Okeakwa, said, “Please stop disturbing me with all these calls, go and write whatever you people want to write. Go ahead and put it on the internet and everywhere please.”

Also the deputy provost and chairman of the probe panel set up to investigate the forgery and age falsification, N. Ndika, said “I am not permitted to talk to the press, please talk to the Provost thank you.”
On his part, the institution’s computer analyst, Emmanuel Okey Okonta, said “I am not interested.” and calls and messages put to the former bursar of the school, J.O. Osakwe were not responded to.