FIIRO: Disquiet over alleged non-existent PhD certificate of Acting DG

Ladesope Ladelokun

Following the exit of the former Director General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO), Prof. Gloria Elemo, the battle over who succeeds her has sparked disquiet within the Institute, The Daily Times has gathered.

Prior to now, the current acting Director General of the Institute, Dr. Chima Igwe, had been dragged to the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) by some stakeholders owing to alleged non-existent PhD certificate of Igwe.

Investigations by The Daily Times revealed that seventeen years after the purported completion of the Acting DG’s PhD degree, he had yet to present his certificate – a development that has fueled hue and cry from dissatisfied staff of FIIRO who have questioned the eligibility of the current Acting DG for the position he occupies.

According to a reliable source who pleaded anonymity, the Acting DG had claimed to have a PhD from a university in Benin Republic.

The source said shortly before the former DG left, the governing board of the Institute had demanded that the file of the most senior director be brought only to discover that the PhD certificate which Dr. Igwe claimed he had 17 years ago was not in the file, adding that there was nothing to show he has a PhD.

“What happened is that the man claimed to have a PhD from the University of Benin Republic. Recently, before the former DG left, the board was trying to determine who the former DG should hand over to.

They asked them to bring the file of the most senior. They brought out his file and discovered that his PhD certificate which he claimed he had 17 years ago was not inside his file.

“What they saw in his file was just a letter written by someone purported to be his supervisor – something like “To whom it may concern” that he finished his PhD in his laboratory – not signed by the registrar, not signed by the Vice Chancellor, but only signed by a purported supervisor that claimed he finished his PhD from his laboratory. And that is the letter he has been using as PhD certificate.

“But the governing board said NO, this is not a certificate. He said he would go to the university to bring it. So, they gave him several ultimatums upon ultimatums, and he has been buying time .

The last ultimatum expired on the 3rd of last month. Unfortunately, he couldn’t bring it. It was extended to June 10; he still could not bring it. He said the VC traveled.

So, he now went to do affidavit (not affidavit of the certificate) that he went to the university and the VC was not around -something he had 17 years ago!”

Meanwhile, a letter signed by the Chairman of the governing board of FIIRO, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan’ azumi Gwarzo on April 14, 2019 and received and signed by the then Minister of Science and Technology on April 23, 2019 at 10:08 a.m. confirmed that Dr. Igwe had failed to present his certificate seventeen years after he purportedly bagged his PhD degree.

The said letter also confirmed that the governing board recommended that the next senior officer, Dr. (Mrs.) E. A. Asagbra be appointed the Acting Director General of the Institute pending the appointment of a substantive DG since the next in rank to the former DG, Dr. Chima, has disciplinary matter hanging over his head.

The letter with the title “Prof. (Mrs.) G.N. Elemo’s End of Tenure and Appointment of Acting Director General/CEO for Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos,” read in part:

“I refer to the above stated subject please. In view of the expiration of the tenure of the Director General on May 11th 2019, it has become necessary to appoint one of the research directors to head the institute in acting capacity.

The extant rules as specified in circular Ref No SGF.50/S.11/C.2/268 stipulated that pending the appointment of a substantive Director General, the outgoing Chief Executive must hand over to the must most senior officer of the establishment as long as the officer does not have any disciplinary matter.

“However, the most senior director, Dr. C.C. Igwe has issues with PhD certificate which he is yet to submit seventeen years after submitting a letter of attestation on completion of PhD degree, even after he had been given ultimatum to submit. The case is also a subject of investigation by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).”

It further stated: “The Board hereby proposes that Dr. (Mrs.) E.A. Asagbra be appointed the Director General of the institute pending the appointment of a substantive Director General/CEO.”

Also, on the aforementioned letter, it was minuted in red ink by someone suspected to be the then former Minister of Science and Technology that the former DG, Prof. Elemo, should hand over to the most senior director after Dr. Igwe in a directive to the Permanent Secretary of the ministry.

“Kindly direct DG, FIIRO to handover to the most senior director in line with the SGF circular,” it read.

But what remains a riddle to observers is why the former DG, Prof. Elemo handed over to Dr. Igwe – the current acting DG.

Meanwhile, efforts by The Daily Times to get Prof. Elemo and Dr. Igwe’s side of the story hit a brick wall. The duo failed to answer calls put across to them and refused to reply messages sent to them to get their side of the story in the spirit of fairness.