Embezzlement of Funds: Delta State Polytechnic Rector in Hot Water Over Alleged Financial Impropriety

The Rector, Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Isoko North local government area of the state, Prof. Job Akpodiete, is currently in a web of financial scandal over alleged siphoning of millions of naira from the institution’s treasury through reckless award of contracts, buying of official vehicles, among others.

It was reliably gathered that the institution’s rector in connivance with other officials have allegedly stolen over N200 million through some contracts that were said did not followed due process.

Some documents gathered during investigation revealed that the rector, in 2017 used over N13 million in buying of cows, bags of rice, rams and other items which he used as gifts for friends and cronies during the Christmas celebrations.

Another N60 million was allegedly used for the clearing of the site, moulding of blocks, excavation for the contraction of the institution’s guest house, and over N200,000,000.00 million fraudulently disbursed through one Mr. H. I. Akumune, a staff of the polytechnic believed to be fronting for the rector.

Speaking under the condition of anonymity, a senior management staff of the institution, disclosed that “This rector, Prof. Revd Job Akpodiete only came to liquidate Delta state polytechnic. I have never in my entire life seen a rector, a Revd, man of God as he claimed, who is as corrupt as this man. Do you know the rector, Prof Akpodiete, bought a Camry car for N35 million, a Corolla car for N21.5 million, another Corolla for N18.9 million and a hilux for N18.5 million as he assumed office. This man is corrupt.”

The Rector, it was also learnt, has been running the school as a family property he gives appointments to his family members and kinsmen with unmerited fat salaries to the detriment of other ethnicity in the state and while reducing the salaries of part time staff from N60,000.00, he fraudulently increased his sitting allowance from N70,000 to N165,000.

Meanwhile, a front line transparency and pressure group, Isoko Monitoring Group, (IMG), known for fighting for the development of Isoko nation, Delta state and Nigeria in general, has petitioned Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, to as a matter of urgency, investigate the alleged corrupt and other fraudulent practices perpetrated by the rector and his cabal.

The group also called for the immediate sack of the rector and other officials involved in the scandal to serve as a deterrent to others.

The petition which was titled “Demand For The Immediate Removal Of Prof. Job Akpodiete, Rector Of Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro And Investigation Of Financial Impropriety.”, signed by the group’s President, Mr. Sebastine Agbefe, and obtained by our correspondent, expressed dissatisfaction over the corrupt manner the rector and other officials are running the affairs of the institution.

According to the petition, “Our attention has been drawn to the multiple cases of suspected fraud and financial indiscipline against extant laws by the Rector of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro and we hereby formally drawn your attention to the same. Staff of the school who for obvious reasons do not want their identity known alleges as follows:

“That the Rector without due process and advertisement of a job of that magnitude as required under the Delta State Procurement Law awarded the construction of a guest house at an unknown cost and has disbursed over N90,000,000.00 (Ninety million naira) only to one Engr. H. I. Akumune suspected to be fronting for him.

“That the Rector with a reckless abandon embarked and bought vehicles at a whooping sum of N85,000,000.00 (eighty five million naira) at an inflated rate, in the face so-called lack of fund that has practically crippled the activities of the school while staff sometimes remain unpaid for several months.

“That the Rector has been involved in the recruitment of both academic and non-academic staff without recourse to the extant laws of Delta and more so this employment tainted with ethnic coloration. The Rector and the management of the school are heavily involved in contract racketeering and kick-backs running into hundreds of millions of naira.

“That the staff of the school of Isoko extraction are grossly marginalized and subjected to daily intimidation, something that we find unacceptable.

These activities of the Rector, if unchecked threatens the existence of the institution as it has been reported that several departments of the school have failed or don’t have the requisite accreditations from professional academic bodies and the non-accreditation and withdrawal of accreditation has been linked to the lack of funds.

“We hereby demand for the immediate removal of the said Prof. Akpodiete while urging your government to investigate the finances of the school under Prof. Akpodiete and to take appropriate action.” the group said.

When contacted, the rector of Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Mr. Job Akpodiete, denied the allegations, saying all approvals and release of funds were given nod to by the institution’s governing council.