ASABA – There are indications that heads may roll at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) over alleged victimisation, extortion, and criminal breach of duty.

This is because the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions has summoned the management of the institution and two lecturers, Williams Akionbare and C. Onanuju.

They are to appear for a public hearing on matters bordering on allegations by the law chamber of M.A. Ogbodogbo, on behalf of a student of FUTO, Mr Otobha Philip Brain.

Trouble started when, in a petition, Otobha, an Engineering student of FUTO, alleged that the institution and the two lecturers stalled his graduation at the university.

Freedom Osolo, Clerk of the Committee in a letter of invitation addressed to M.A. Ogbodogbo stated that those concerned are to appear before the public hearing of the petition dated Tuesday, 18, February 2020 at Room 120, New Senate Building of the National Assembly Complex, Abuja by noon.

A copy of the letter in possession of our correspondent in Asaba, Delta State was dated January 30, 2020.

It reads: “I am directed to invite you to a public hearing of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions of the National Assembly in respect of a petition you wrote o behalf of Mr. Otobha Philip Brain against Engr. Williams Akionbare, Dr. Onanuju and Federal University of Technology (FUTO), Owerri for alleged victimisation, extortion and criminal breach of duty and sent to the Senate. The matter has been referred to the Committee for detailed investigation and further legislative action.”

Otobha who hails from Emede in Isoko South Local Government Area of Delta State attributed his inability to graduate from FUTO since 2014 on the alleged criminal actions and inaction of certain officials of the institution, particularly an Engineering Lecturer, William Akionbare.

He claimed that the said lecturer and his Course Project Adviser had threatened to stop him from graduating from the university for allegedly refusing to pay him the sum of N100,000.00.

“That sometimes in 2014, one Engr William Akionbare, a lecturer with FUTO who doubles as a Course Adviser and Project Supervisor, boasted out rightly that our Client can never graduate from the Federal University of Technology (FUTO) Owerri, Imo State if he does not meet up with his selfish and laughable demand of N100,000 (one hundred thousand Naira),” the petitioner’s lawyers observed.

The petitioner said he was seeking justice because the lecturer had made good his threat by deliberately ensuring he did not pass his course, PRT 504, as well as PRT 513 whose handler, Dr O. Onanuju, the supervisor (Akionbare) allegedly connived in his bid to frustrate him (the aggrieved student).

All previous attempts to get the FUTO authorities to redress the perceived injustice had been unsuccessful as the institution refused to grant the request to have his scripts re-marked despite paying the stipulated fee for examination script re-marking since May 8, 2018, in respect of PRT 504 and PRT 513 courses.

Source: Felix Igbekoyi
Felix Igbekoyi is a correspondent with Independent Newspapers

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