Panel’s Report On Enugu Poly’s Finances Unsettles ‘Senior’ Workers

Principal officers of the Institute of Management and Technology, Enugu, seem unsettled following Tuesday’s submission of the report by an investigative panel into the polytechnic’s finances, among others. The committee was set up by the state government to ensure transparency in the institution.

THE WHISTLER reports that the report was submitted on Tuesday, ten days before the designated time.

A senior official of the institution, on condition of anonymity, said, “IMT ought to be better that it is. Its admission processes, contracts execution and ad-hoc staff engagements could be indicting. Further, we admit more than required by JAMB. We anticipate the report of the panel with mixed feelings.”

Another worker said, “If the panel looks into the examination standards of the poly, many will be indicted. Our students are not serious. Some think money can buy everything. Unfortunately, many lecturers fall prey.”

The report was received on behalf of Governor Peter Mba by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Chidi Onyia. Onyia assured of Governor Mbah’s determination to return IMT to its past glory.

While assuring that the report would serve as “one of the pillars for the planned reforms in the institution and across all levels of education in the state”, Onyia stated that, “It is important to state that the essence of this committee was initially misconstrued, but His Excellency was very clear on what he wants to see in the education sector. It ranges from what happens at the elementary all the way to the tertiary levels.”

Onyia thanked the committee for delivering on its assignment, adding that members of the committee “did not just submit a report, but also submitted a report with evidence to back up every assertion made here.”

He added, “I have not read this report, but I am confident that for you to have brought this report and also brought a pile of evidence to back up everything that you have said, allows us to verify some of the things here before we start to implement them,” he noted.

“This is the first of many processes like this, to make sure that the IMT, which is also a historical institute of excellence, is restored to its glory. But we do not want to speak to the issues subjectively. That was why this Committee was set up to provide guidance for the government to start the process of reform using the empirical data.

“What we want is for IMT to return to its old glory both from the governance point of view and also from the selection point of view and the quality of faculty that is there.

“Faculty quality is very important so that the graduating students are able to meet the level of performance to be competitive locally and globally.

“The IMT was set up with the level of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US. So, the fact that we have retrogressed over the years should be a thing of concern to every citizen of Enugu State and every parent that hopes that his or her child passes through IMT as a higher institution of education.

“The governor is determined that as we begin to work on IMT, to change the governance process and address some of the key recommendations here, this report becomes a guidance to other higher institutions in Enugu State.”

The chairman of the committee, Prof Ed Nwobodo, said the committee’s assignment was to return the institution to its lost glory.

In his words, “It is a reform essentially to get things done the right way. It was basically to look at the systems, practices, and consequences for the manifestation of those systems.”

Our correspondent reports that the terms of reference of the committee included to evaluate the legal and policy framework underpinning the constitution of the institution’s Business Committee and thoroughly analyse the various categories of fees charged to students, investigating the methods of payment, designated accounts for transactions, and the overall management of fee-related processes.

It was also assigned to assess the degree of adherence to pertinent laws, regulations, and institutional policies in the selection and appointment of staff members, particularly those occupying key positions, such as heads of departments, and the deputy rector.