Nigeria’s leading anti-corruption group, the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has urged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) to prosecute the former Acting Director, Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, (FIIRO), Mr Chima Igwe, following his alleged involvement in serial manipulation of his educational status to exploit the system for personal fortunes.
In a petition dated 7th June, 2021 and addressed to the ICPC, HEDA is asking the anti-graft agency to compel Igwe to return to government purse all earnings linked to the his forged certificate.
The petition titled “Prosecution of Mr Chima Igwe for attaining the Position of Acting Director General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Without Possessing the Pre-Requisite Qualification” was signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Mr Olanrewaju Suraju.
A copy of the petition was made available to Theideal in Abuja on Sunday.
The former FIIRO Acting Director was said to have been caught in a web of dirty scam after submitting a Ph.D certificate that was later discovered to be false.
Incidentally, the ICPC investigation team reportedly indicted him but Igwe still remains a key official of the Institute.
Under the fake claim, he was said to have worked for 18 years at the country’s foremost research institute, rising through the ladder with the same forged document.
HEDA also stated that its lead researchers had unravel the scam, following months of the group’s diligent research team investigation of the infamous action.
It added that the degree was subsequently investigated by ICPC while the findings of the investigation dated the 24th day of January 2020 with Reference number ICPC/SDD-TA/FMST-02/2020 was sent to the Minister of Science and Technology, the supervising ministry.
According to HEDA, it was upon this finding that Igwe was removed, after several public pressure, as the Acting Director-General of FIIRO.
But the group stated that it is regrettable that FIRRO still retained Igwe as a staff of the Institute in the capacity of a Chief Research Officer.
Suraju also disclosed that Igwe, under the pretense of having a Ph.D. degree for 18 years, worked and attained several positions in the Institute up to being an Acting Director-General before his demotion by the Board after the scam was exposed.
The HEDA chairman stated that Igwe finally obtained his Ph.D. only in the year 2020 from the Universite Nationale du Benin (now Universite d’Abomey-Calavi), Benin Republic, the same University that he claimed awarded his fake certificate 12 years earlier.
The anti corruption group recalled that before 2020 when Igwe got his Ph.D. degree, he had obtained salaries and promotions with a fake representation and deception at FIIRO in Lagos State.
According to the group, the action is contrary to the Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Act and Section 105 of the Criminal Code Act.
The HEDA then said, “We request the ICPC to prosecute Mr. Chima Igwe for presenting an attestation letter in place of a Ph.D Certificate upon which he worked and gained several promotions in the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos State and return into the government’s coffer all salaries and allowances paid to Mr. Chima Igwe within the period he worked without having the requisite educational qualification (Ph.D Certificate)”.
The group further disclosed that in the absence of action by the ICPC, it would approach the court to compel the anti-graft agency to prosecute Igwe.
