Justice Sherifat Solebo of an Ikeja Special Offences Court has remanded Chima Igwe, a former Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, over alleged certificate fraud.

The PUNCH had reported that The Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission would arraign a former Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Chima Igwe, on Friday (today) for allegedly collecting salaries for 18 years with a phantom doctorate certificate.

The arraignment borders on “use of false/fake PhD certificate and using office to confer corrupt/unfair advantage.”

The crisis at FIIRO started after the immediate past DG of the institute, Prof. Gloria Elemo, left office in April 2019.

Igwe’s appointment as acting DG was opposed by the governing board after the PhD with which he gained promotions for over 18 years became a subject of investigation by the ICPC.

The Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, however, overruled the board, insisting that he should be the acting DG.

After investigations by The PUNCH and the ICPC confirmed that the doctorate, which he claimed he obtained at the Universite D’Abomey Calavi, Benin Republic, in 2001, was non-existent, he was removed.

He was also demoted to the position he held more than 18 years ago.

That decision pitted the board against the minister, who began moves to reinstate Igwe, including writing the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) to confirm him as substantive DG.

The minister also had face-offs with the then board Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Gwarzo, who insisted that Igwe deserved prosecution and not reinstatement for the alleged fraud.

The President, in a letter dated September 7, 2021, rejected Onu’s request to confirm Igwe and ordered the ICPC to prosecute him for “giving false information to his employers”.

The minister later dissolved the FIIRO board and others, saying they had served out their tenure.

Urbanchampion:
Ogbonnaya Onu should bury his head in shame for being an accomplice to this fraud. This man was aided to the crime by the Honourable Minister for Science and Technology, Dr. Onu.

Danjikanbauchi:
as malami is joining him, Buhari should be arrested for using fake waec result .

Leverage2021:
As he is burying his head in shame malami should be joining him for been an accomplice to the unlawful invasion of justice odili home

portplus:
nepotism is bad for this country.
But if na people from across the Niger, they will protect their own.

Sleekfingers:



Why him self forge certificate?

Leverage2021:
As he is burying his head in shame malami should be joining him for been an accomplice to the unlawful invasion of justice odili home

As the vegetable is joining tilumbu would follow suit for foisting this disaster in hope of becoming president that buhari is sidling him from

seguntijan:


I won't have a problem if this statement is coming from a patriotic Nigerian mind, but the tone of your message is sounding tribalistic.

So from my own patriotic mind. Everyone should be prosecuted even the President himself.