A fresh crisis is brewing at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Lagos, following the return of the demoted officer of the agency, Chima Igwe, to the position of a director.

Igwe, who was the institute’s acting Director-General, was demoted to the position of Chief Research Officer for making false claims to a doctorate from a Benin university.

Based on that phantom PhD, he had enjoyed undeserved promotions for 18 years.

He is being tried at an Ikeja High Court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission over the matter following orders from the Presidency.

But an internal memo obtained by The PUNCH on Tuesday showed that the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, had ordered his return to the position of director in the institute.

The memo, signed by the acting Director, Human Resources Management and Administration, C.A. Ibe, and dated March 21, 2022, was titled, ‘Reverting to Status Quo on the Position of Dr Chima Igwe as Director, Chemical, Fibre and Environmental Technology Department.’

It read, “I am directed to inform you that following the recommendation of a report of the ministerial committee on the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, the directive of the Governing Board and the approval of the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, the status quo on the position of Dr Chima C. Igwe is hereby maintained. Consequently, all staff under the above-named department are expected to comply accordingly. Kindly note, for the sake of emphasis, that Dr Chima C. Igwe remains the substantive director of the department.”

Our correspondent has been following events at FIIRO since 2019 when Igwe, against the advice of the Governing Board, was made the acting DG by Onu despite the controversies around his PhD.

Following an ICPC report which indicted Igwe that he never had the doctorate in 2001, he was demoted to the position he held 18 years earlier.

That decision by the former governing board of the institute started a war between Onu and the then board Chairman, Alhaji Ibrahim Gwarzo.

Onu later wrote to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), demanding that Igwe be confirmed DG of the institute, a request that was rejected after investigations by the Head of Service.

The President, in a memo in September 2021, signed by Ibrahim Adamu, the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Administration and Operations), directed the minister to allow the board to function freely.

Buhari also asked the ICPC to prosecute Igwe for giving false information to his employers.

He asked the board to commence the process of appointing a substantive DG.

The board was in the process of appointing a substantive DG when the minister in October 2021 dissolved the board and appointed his friends and loyalists.

The PUNCH gathered that after the new board was inaugurated, the headquarters of FIIRO was moved from Lagos to Abuja.

Some of the decisions taken by the former board were also reportedly reversed by the new board, led by a former Chairman of the Board of Trustees, All Nigeria People’s Party, Alhaji Gambo Magaji.

A source said the Magaji-led board was preparing to return Igwe as substantive director-general as shown in a recent advert for the position.

The advert, dated March 14, 2022, and signed by one Enwerem Ahamefula, stated that the position was only open to internal officers.

“The vacancy is usually thrown open to members of the public and advertised in a newspaper. But this time, Onu made it an internal advert. They also removed the post-doctorate years of experience in the criteria to accommodate Igwe. The plan is to make Igwe the DG and that was why they returned him to the position of a director so he can apply,” the source said.

Another source said the position to which Igwe was returned despite his criminal trial had already been occupied by another officer.

“A serious crisis is looming in FIIRO. All they want to do is make Igwe the next DG. The position they said he should go back to, somebody has already been promoted to it and issued a letter.

“Since the inauguration of the new board, they have been doing everything possible to thwart court processes by directing that a witness from the admin department must not go to court to witness they said the case is between ICPC and Igwe,” the source added.

The senior official urged the President to intervene in the matter, adding that the Head of Service or the Chief of Staff to the President should handle the appointment process.

The board chairman, Magaji, denied reversing the decisions of the former board, adding that the directive for FIIRO headquarters to be moved to Abuja had been on since 2021 before his appointment.

While denying stopping anyone from witnessing against Igwe in court, he stated that FIIRO as an institute had nothing to do with his ongoing trial, hence the case could not affect the board and ministry’s dealings with him.

Asked if it was true that Igwe had been made a director, he asked our correspondent to go to FIIRO to find out, saying he was in Bauchi State.

He also denied that Buhari directed the trial of Igwe in court.

“The court case does not involve the ministry and FIIRO. If there is a case between you and an individual, will PUNCH ask you to leave? If somebody fabricated a story against you and you are taken to court, is it right and proper for you to be sacked?” he queried.

https://punchng.com/onu-promotes-indicted-ex-fiiro-boss-demoted-by-buhari-for-phd-fraud/


Previous threads:
Court Remands Chima Igwe, Ex-DG Of FIIRO For Certificate Fraud
https://www.nairaland.com/6847015/court-remands-chima-igwe-ex-dg#107551988

Buhari Orders Chima Igwe's Trial For Using Phantom Certificate For 18 Years
https://www.nairaland.com/6778764/buhari-orders-chima-igwes-trial#106301598

What does Ogbonaya stands to gain from this Igwe debacle? He used the former HRM Director of Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs Genevieve Ejiogu to perpetrate the fraud of keeping Igwe in FIIRO, when Ejiogu retired, Onu didn't trust the Yoruba man who succeeded her, he had to resort to Director Legal, another woman from Delta state.
The unfortunate fact is that Buhari has left his Ministers too long and unchecked
on their jobs, thereby making some of them have become uncontrollable, even by the system.

Awkabigboy:
Chima igwe is 100% better than those almajiri quota system blockheads,if Pantami couldn't resign why chima igwe.?

Can you imagine the impunity
People like you & your Uncle, Onu are the problems of Nigeria

Urbanchampion:
What does Ogbonaya stands to gain from this Igwe debacle? He used the former HRM Director of Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs Genevieve Ejiogu to perpetrate the fraud of keeping Igwe in FIIRO, when Ejiogu retired, Onu didn't trust the Yoruba man who succeeded her, he had to resort to Director Legal, another woman from Delta state.
The unfortunate fact is that Buhari has left his Ministers too long and unchecked
on their jobs, thereby making some of them have become uncontrollable, even by the system.

Ogbonnaya will always protect Igwe. It is nepotism at its peak. Small time Illiterate Peoples of Biafra will come here and shout marginalisation, quota system. Meanwhile they are like a virus to Nigeria

Moferere:


[s]Can you imagine the impunity
People like you & your Uncle, Onu are the problems of Nigeria[/s]

The problem with Nigeria are calamities like you that brought in this failed and pungent govt bc of your tribalism and hate for Jonathan

Another super story

When politics takes preeminence over productivity

Eyaaa


Check my siggy for project writing

Onu is showing such favouritism because the FIIRO Boss is igbo just like him, igbos and tribalism are like 5 and 6, would Ogbonnaya have exhibited such favouritism if he was not igbo? No, yet he wants to become the Nation's President

And these r the type of leaders u expect to lead Nigeria to a promise land?.....they wil lead Nigeria to their well arranged doom

Awkabigboy:
Chima igwe is 100% better than those almajiri quota system blockheads,if Pantami couldn't resign why chima igwe.?

Let's stop all this madness. Let's call a spade it's proper name., this is not right at all

Imagine

APC failed woefully. Buhari and Osinbajo are both failures

FUEL
Obasanjo came into power, and we bought fuel ₦70
Yar'adua came into power, and he reduced it to ₦65
Goodluck came into power, and increased it to ₦87
Buhari came into power, now we're buy fuel at the range of ₦180 - ₦210

BAG OF RICE
Obasanjo came into power and we bought a bag of rice for ₦5000
Yar'adua came into power and reduced it to ₦3500
Goodluck came into power and increased it to ₦9,000
Buhari came into power and we're buying bag of rice ₦36,000

BAG OF CEMENT
Obasanjo came into power, and we bought cement ₦1350
Yar'adua came into power and reduced it to ₦800
Goodluck came into power and he increased it to ₦1900
Buhari came into power, we're buying cement ₦5000

EXCHANGE RATE.
Obasanjo came into power and ₦1 to $1 = ₦137
Yar'adua came into power and reduced it to ₦114
Goodluck came into power and increased it to ₦199
Buhari came into power and exchange rate is over ₦500

May the soul of Umaru Musa Yar’adua the first and last best President Nigeria ever had continue to rest with Almighty Allah. Amin.

There must be something known only to the minister which is why he's hellbent on foistering the FIIRO boss as a director despite the demotion.

Be like say Buhari don loss his fear factor since. This is what you get when you elect a dementia patient in power. I'm sure he is not aware he sacked the man self. Na he aide go remind am

Nigeria

I don't know why we still hear the name of this guy as if there are no other researchers in Nigeria.

You will hear later that other people are tribalistic.

Does he have the requisite qualification? What of the years he has put into service? Therefore, Dr Chima also deserves that position you are using your newspaper propaganda to deny him.

One of the reasons it will be difficult for an igbo man to ever rule this country, they are too tribalistic and vengeful

In saner climes, that guy would be jailed for documents falsification but in Nigeria, the criminal is walking free and his brother Onu wants to impose him as head of a research institute.

Maxymilliano:
There must be something known only to the minister which is why he's hellbent on foistering the FIIRO boss as a director despite the demotion.

They are both igbos

stiplanik:
maybe he's his bosom friend.

No, they both share the same tribes.

Hmmm
Another quota system director ? It’s not only the northerners that engage in the nepotism thing.

stop pretending to be on your phone when you got lost just turn and go back. �

gentiles:
One of the reasons it will be difficult for an igbo man to ever rule this country, they are too tribalistic and vengeful

Their tribalism no be here atal.. why is Onu insisting on someone that lied about having PhD if not tribalism? He wants his brother to head an agency he isn't qualified for by fire by force. Who knows if it's fake certificate he is parading as first degree.

toprealman:

Let's stop all this madness. Let's call a spade it's proper name., this is not right at all

There is nothing not right here. They want to kick chima igwe out bc of his tribe but onu said no and that's final.

Moferere:


Ogbonnaya will always protect Igwe. It is nepotism at its peak. Small time Illiterate Peoples of Biafra will come here and shout marginalisation, quota system. Meanwhile they are like a virus to Nigeria

They should just let them go..Awon Virus

While denying stopping anyone from witnessing against Igwe in court, he stated that FIIRO as an institute had nothing to do with his ongoing trial, hence the case could not affect the board and ministry’s dealings with him.

The bolded part says it all. This one they are after Ogbonna Onu, he may be the Buhari's secret candidate. I know how Tinubu urchins work.

They have remembered Onu. Lagos Ibadam expressway mercenary journalists..
They're thinking he might be interested in the presidency.. All they do is to start writing trash about any top politician from the East rumored to have any slighgt presidential ambitions..

Nonexisting:
This one they are after Ogbonna Onu, he may be the Buhari's secret candidate. I know how Tinubu urchins work.

Exactly my thoughts..