FIIRO gets new Ag. DG as Igwe steps aside

The Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi (FIIRO) now has a new Acting Director-General – Dr (Mrs) Yemisi Asagbra. 

Until her appointment, Asagbra was the Director, Production, Analytical and Laboratory Management department. 

She was also the Deputy Director at the Food and Quality Management Division of FIIRO. Asagbra holds a doctorate in Food and Industrial Microbiology. Her appointment came on the back of the directive of the governing board to the former acting Director-General, Chima Igwe, after  the investigation of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) revealed that Igwe did not defend thesis let alone bag a doctorate from the Universite D’ Abomey Calavi, the Republic  of Benin as claimed by Igwe.

Igwe had been promoted at least three times based on a non-existent PhD certificate contrary to FIIRO law that only PhD holders can be senior officers. Meanwhile, a statement signed by ICPC’s spokesperson, Mrs Rasheedat Okoduwa, on the outcome of the Commission’s investigation confirmed that Igwe had yet  to defended his doctoral thesis 18 years after he purportedly finished his course work.

The statement read: “In the past few weeks, the alleged certificate scandal involving the Acting Director-General of the Federal Institute for Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Mr Chima Igwe, has been entangled in a lot of controversy.  To clear the air and fulfil its pledge to make public its findings on the matter, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) hereby places on public record the outcome of its further investigations. 

“The Commission re-opened investigations into the status of Mr Igwe’s pursuit of a PhD degree on the 3rd of  December, 2019 upon the  discovery of certain gaps, occasioned by ambiguity in the letters from University D’Abomey Calavi, The Republic of Benin, language differences and translation of documents, in the earlier investigation.

“In the course of its further investigation, the ambiguity and confusing language translation the issue again reared its head when the institution, in its letter to the Nigerian Mission in Benin dated 22nd January 2020, which stated as translated that ‘…Mr. Chima Carthney Igwe has completed his three-year doctoral programme”, yet the same correspondence further stated that Mr Igwe had not publicly defended his doctoral thesis and the institution was giving him a chance, at his request, to re-register and update his research results in the current 2019-2020 academic year. It stands to reason therefore that if the PhD programme was concluded there would have been no need to request re-registration by Mr Igwe.

“Although it was confirmed that Mr Igwe did the required three years for the programme from 1999 to 2002 and wrote a thesis, the Commission is firm of the opinion that he cannot be said to have been awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree since he is yet to complete the process of defence of his thesis in the 18 years after he is said to have finished the course work.  By global standards, the successful defence of a thesis is a compulsory condition for the award of a PhD. 

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 “Therefore, in line with its avowed commitment to discharging its duties with professionalism and responsibility the Commission has since communicated its most recent findings and position to the relevant authorities for necessary action.”

Confirming the appointment of Asagbra in an exclusive telephone interview with The Daily  Times, the Chairman of the Governing Board of FIIRO, Alhaji  Dan ‘Azumi Gwarzo said Mr Chima Igwe had been directed to hand over to the second most senior director, Dr Yemisi Asagbra.

He said it was unfortunate that Igwe was promoted without the requisite PhD to the position of a director but vowed that the board would conduct an investigation to unveil how it happened.