ImoPoly Omuma: Financial Scandal Allegedly Rocks School, Rector Fingered In Collecting, Diverting Millions Into Privat Account

The Imo state Polytechnic Omuma Campus is currently enmeshed with high level corruption following a revelation that the Rector of the institution, Prof Chukwuka Stephen Kanayo allegedly used his personal bank account to collect millions from Head of Departments, contractors, individuals and corporate bodies.
The Rector has been reported to diverts monies under the guise of delivering an inaugural lecture.
Investigations exposed a letter with the caption, “Request For Assistance /Sponsorship To Enable Me – Prof.K.S. Chukwuka, The Rector Kick-Start And Deliver The First Ever Imo State Polytechnic Lecture Series And Within The Southeast O States Of Nigeria” .
It was also gathered that he personally signed the letter soliciting funds from the school HoDs, contractors, individuals and corporate bodies, among others with his personal account boldly attached against the school Treasury Single Account,TSA.
The investigation showed that the said Account Name is his: Chukwuka , Kanayo Stephen, Account Number: 3006009817, Bank: First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
A source said, “This is an inaugural lecture that held in October 17, 2023, where a committee was set up by the school to handle, painfully, eight months after the event, the committee neither knew how much was realized nor those who paid money into the Rector’s Account.
It was also gathered that some people in the school are requesting the anti-graft agencies like, EFCC, ICPC and the Governor, Sen.Hope Uzodinma to compel the Rector to present a statement of his Account from within the said period to be able to ascertain what the Rector illegally but personally gained while occupying an official position.
“It is criminal that instead of the Rector allowing room for accountability, he hurriedly went ahead to design letter forcing HoDs, contractors handling projects in the school, and other corporate bodies to pay into his personal account to avoid anyone knowing how many millions were remitted.
The Rector’s action is contrary to the institution’s code of conduct that prohibits public office holders from receiving official benefits through personal channels. Not only this, the Rector is alleged to be in the habit of requesting 10% kick-back from any transaction involving the school”, a source said.
A legal Activist who was interviewed on the matter cited, Part XI, Section 57, Sub-Section (2) of the Public Procurement Act, 2007 provides in section 6, “A Public Officer shall not accept any gift, offer of employment, favour or any other benefit, item or service that can be quantified in monetary terms from any Bidder, Service Provider, or any person involved in the procurement proceedings.”
According to him, Section 10 of the Code of Conducts Act also provides, “Public Officers shall not create a source of personal or organizational revenue or advantage by inordinately using public knowledge which comes to him in the course of discharging his duties”
An insider source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that, “the Rector, after designing the fund raising letter went ahead to mandate HoDs to pay either in cash or through transfer between N100, 000 and N200, 000, respectively, of which some departments paid N200, 000 cash to him in the office. Also, the Rector allegedly delegated one of ‘his boys’ to go around telling the HoDs to pay the money, if only they wish to be reappointed as HoDs. Regrettably, all of these HoDs were reappointed few weeks after even when some of them had served in that capacity for ten years and above and the agitation for their change was almost inevitable
Information further gathered indicates that the Rector was reported to be indiscriminately soliciting for the funds from individuals despite earlier approval of funds for him by the school management to carter for the proposed lecture.
Interactions with some insiders revealed that the Rector has made himself a demi-god who decides virtually everything in the school without taking advise from chief lecturers and other senior staff of the school.
He was allegedly in the habit of rubbishing them at every given opportunity
“Anyone who opposes him is either witch hunted or threatened openly by the Rector. Not only that, the Rector does not work in line with the vision and mission of the institution . He allegedly disobeys government’s directives at will and imposes on the school whatever he likes” a source reveals”
According to the insider, “the Rector is not bothered if the school collapses, destroyed or goes insolvent, adding that the Rector is at the habit of threatening the staff with sack or dismissal at any slightest opportunity and has severally boasted in different fora that he has his job intact at the University of Ibadan and has nothing to loose if Imo State Polytechnic Omuma collapses”
Meanwhile, all efforts to reach the Rector on Telephone was unsuccessful as at press time. Also, the Public Relations Officer of the institution was called but his Telephone was switched off.