Prof Viola Onwuliri is a wife to VC FUTO Owerri. She is running mate to Ohakim. The husband mobilize over 40 students and lecturers to serve as INEC adhoc staff, and he is the returning officer

A letter purportedly signed by INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega and addressed to Imo state resident electoral commissioner appointed Professor Celestine O. Onwuliri, the VC of Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri, as the Chief Collating and Returning Officer for the forthcoming presidential and governorship elections in Imo state - (See "Imo ACN kicks against FUTO VC as returning officer" vanguardngr April 8 2011).

Prof Onwuliri's wife, Professor Viola Adaku Onwuliri is contesting in the governorship election in Imo state as deputy to incumbent governor Ikedi Ohakim. Professor Viola Onwuliri also teaches at FUTO, Owerri.

A large and disproportionate number of FUTO officials have also been selected by INEC to serve as returning officers during the elections.

Prof. Celestine O. Onwuliri may retire from the service of the university system a few months from now .

In a letter of appointment, INEC.CHROEVOL.1, signed by Jega, the INEC chairman claimed that “those appointed are very senior high level personnel in the public service who have proven themselves to be persons of high integrity, imbued with a strong sense of public responsibility.”

Jega, therefore, directed the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Rose Oko, that “you are, therefore, requested to accord these officials the needed assistance and cooperation to enable them discharge their duties efficiently and as expected.”

He confirmed that “for your state, the person appointed is Professor Celestine O.E. Onwuliri, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (contact details withheld). Please contact him and offer him all the necessary support and assistance.”

The Action Congress of Nigeria leadership in Imo state had since protested the action of INEC. Other stakeholders and political parties in the elections are either waiting for INEC's reaction since one of the parties have protested, or are poised for a showdown with INEC.

But there are still questions to be answered:

Did Jega actually approve or personally signed the letters authorizing the appointment of Prof. Celestine O. Onwuliri as Chief Collation and Returning Officer?

If Jega did, was he aware that Professor Onwuliri's wife is contesting in one of the elections Jega appointed her husband to serve as collating and returning officer?

Did Governor Ikedi Ohakim's office recommend to INEC those to be appointed to handle most sensitive aspects of returning and collation of election results in Imo state?

And if Governor Ohakim's office really did the recommendations, is it a nationwide practice that state governments recommend those that serve in the category of principal collating and returning officers in elections?

If JEGA was not privy to the sordid nature Imo state election officers' appointments, who then is holding court for Prof. Jega at INEC?

Or did an insider set out to betray Jega, and thus smear his reputation as a neutral umpire even before the elections are yet to begin?

It is really sour that the present INEC can make room for this open recrimination against its much-vaunted neutrality in an election Nigerians are expecting to see as a watershed in the country's checkered election history.

Kingsley Mbadiwe.

Owerri, Imo state.

http://www.nigeriavillagesquare.com/articles/guest-articles/gov-ohakms-ploys-prof-jegas-betrayal.html

ACTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has kicked against the appointment of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri FUTO, Professor Cyril Onwuliri, as the collating and returning officer for the presidential and governorship elections in Imo State.

Professor Onwuliri is the husband of Professor Viola Onwuliri, incumbent Governor Ikedi Ohakim’s running mate in the April 26 governorship elections in Imo State.

Incidentally, Ohakim’s running mate also teaches in the same school and her husband is billed to retire in June just two months after the elections.

The party, which had earlier complained about the appointment of several FUTO lecturers as returning officers, had expressed fears that if the situation was left unchecked, it could lead to violence and chaos in the state, since the VC had vowed to return the incumbent governor and allow for litigations since his retirement was just by the corner.

Letter of appointment

In the letter of appointment, INEC.CHROEVOL.1, signed by Jega, the INEC chairman claimed that “those appointed are very senior high level personnel in the public service who have proven themselves to be persons of high integrity, imbued with a strong sense of public responsibility.”

Jega, therefore, directed the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Rose Oko, that “you are, therefore, requested to accord these officials the needed assistance and cooperation to enable them discharge their duties efficiently and as expected.”

He confirmed that “for your state, the person appointed is Professor Celestine O.E. Onwuliri, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (contact details withheld).Please contact him and offer him all the necessary support and assistance.”

ACN is, however, worried that there was no way the state REC could be an unbiased umpire, having accepted accommodation by the state government where she is quartered among serving commissioners in the state. It also accused Jega of withholding her accommodation allowance.

The state REC also claimed that the INEC chairman failed to pay their housing allowance while he returned over N2.5 billion to the federal treasury.

Governorship candidate of the party in Imo State, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, while reacting to the information yesterday, explained that having complained about the character of the REC and her utterances since she resumed in Owerri, Jega should have thrown her away to ensure transparency.

He said: “ I am not surprised that such sensitive information has been hidden from the electorate and INEC top brass by Mrs. Oko. There is no way transparency could be ensured if the PDP running mate was until her selection a lecturer of FUTO and the husband still in service and the lecturers from the school appointed as Returning Officers.

They are already boasting and Jega should do the right thing immediately”

Araraume who was speaking from his Country home in Mbano said the INEC chairman should not allow Nigerians to further suffer by ensuring that Imo state is saved from the trouble of shoddy and biased conduct of the April Elections

Chairman of the party in the state, Honourable Charles Uba accused the PDP led government of circulating fake ballot papers since last Monday.

Uba said INEC should not allow the mockery of last Saturday to repeat itself and ensure that the Result Sheets accompany all the required materials to the polling Centres to avoid the diversion of materials and delay in some of the boots as witnessed last Saturday.

http://news2.onlinenigeria.com/news/general/88653-imo-acn-kicks-against-futo-vc-as-returning-officer.html?print

ACTION Congress of Nigeria, ACN, has kicked against the appointment of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri FUTO, Professor Cyril Onwuliri, as the collating and returning officer for the presidential and governorship elections in Imo State.

Professor Onwuliri is the husband of Professor Viola Onwuliri, incumbent Governor Ikedi Ohakim's running mate in the April 26 governorship elections in Imo State.

Incidentally, Ohakim's running mate also teaches in the same school and her husband is billed to retire in June just two months after the elections.

The party, which had earlier complained about the appointment of several FUTO lecturers as returning officers, had expressed fears that if the situation was left unchecked, it could lead to violence and chaos in the state, since the VC had vowed to return the incumbent governor and allow for litigations since his retirement was just by the corner.

Letter of appointment
In the letter of appointment, INEC.CHROEVOL.1, signed by Jega, the INEC chairman claimed that 'those appointed are very senior high level personnel in the public service who have proven themselves to be persons of high integrity, imbued with a strong sense of public responsibility.'

Jega, therefore, directed the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs. Rose Oko, that 'you are, therefore, requested to accord these officials the needed assistance and cooperation to enable them discharge their duties efficiently and as expected.'

He confirmed that 'for your state, the person appointed is Professor Celestine O.E. Onwuliri, Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Owerri (contact details withheld).Please contact him and offer him all the necessary support and assistance.'

ACN is, however, worried that there was no way the state REC could be an unbiased umpire, having accepted accommodation by the state government where she is quartered among serving commissioners in the state. It also accused Jega of withholding her accommodation allowance.

The state REC also claimed that the INEC chairman failed to pay their housing allowance while he returned over N2.5 billion to the federal treasury.

Governorship candidate of the party in Imo State, Senator Ifeanyi Ararume, while reacting to the information yesterday, explained that having complained about the character of the REC and her utterances since she resumed in Owerri, Jega should have thrown her away to ensure transparency.

He said: ' I am not surprised that such sensitive information has been hidden from the electorate and INEC top brass by Mrs. Oko. There is no way transparency could be ensured if the PDP running mate was until her selection a lecturer of FUTO and the husband still in service and the lecturers from the school appointed as Returning Officers.

They are already boasting and Jega should do the right thing immediately'

Araraume who was speaking from his Country home in Mbano said the INEC chairman should not allow Nigerians to further suffer by ensuring that Imo state is saved from the trouble of shoddy and biased conduct of the April Elections

Chairman of the party in the state, Honourable Charles Uba accused the PDP led government of circulating fake ballot papers since last Monday.

Uba said INEC should not allow the mockery of last Saturday to repeat itself and ensure that the Result Sheets accompany all the required materials to the polling Centres to avoid the diversion of materials and delay in some of the boots as witnessed last Saturday.

http://www.thenigerianvoice.com/nvnewsthread1/49559/1/

That would even be worrisome too
That details about a man was not known before his appointment as a Chief returning officer
where on earth could this happen?
People hoist their wives,daughters.sons and godchildren into posts and force us to deal with them and then someone is entrusted a key position in the elections where his own wife is a contestant.
Tufiakwa for that our place

This one is bahd gan!
They shdnt just kick against,they should push and shove until something is done.

Someone should please pass the info across to Jega or INEC hotlines.
Jega might not actually know about this.