- I did not receive consignment, claims registrar
- I did not know he had evil intentions – HODThe Imo State University is now embroiled in a financial mess over the failure of a contractor to supply equipment for the N500million Tertiary Education Trust Fund contract awarded to his firm six months after the institution’s management claimed it had advanced N300 million mobilisation fee to the firm.
Our correspondent gathered that the contractor, who did not actually supply the equipment after two years, later smuggled in what sources said was substandard to what the university Senate had expected.
The three companies in the contractual agreement – Harehill Enterprises (Nigeria) Limited, Compliat Services Limited and Datascan Consult International Limited – owned and managed by one Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, were given TETfund contract of N500 million to supply and install civil, electrical and agricultural engineering equipment in the university with a deadline of six months. But they failed to supply and install the equipment within the agreed time.
Arodiogbu’s companies were also said to have commenced the process of supply after two years of the contract, thereby preventing the university from being accredited in the courses the consignments were meant for.
It was learnt that, after the deadline was not met, the university Senate decided to report the matter to the police and it was agreed that the equipment be supplied to the police, but unfortunately, the police escorted the contractor to deliver the equipment at the university’s gate.
The university has, therefore, accused the Registrar, Dr. Emeka Ejinkonye, of gross misconduct, insubordination and breach of trust for receiving the equipment without recourse to the Senate.
However, the registrar was, on November 24, 2017, suspended for six months, in the interim, at the end of the institution’s 64th Council Meeting, with half salary for allegedly receiving the consignments, on behalf of the university, from a contractor it had resolved should return the mobilisation fee of N300 million for breach of contract.
But the registrar denied ever receiving the goods, saying that the Head, Department of
