A fresh crisis is brewing at the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, Lagos, following the return of the demoted officer of the agency, Chima Igwe, to the position of a director.
Igwe, who was the institute’s acting Director-General, was demoted to the position of Chief Research Officer for making false claims to a doctorate from a Benin university.
Based on that phantom PhD, he had enjoyed undeserved promotions for 18 years.
He is being tried at an Ikeja High Court by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission over the matter following orders from the Presidency.
But an internal memo obtained by The PUNCH on Tuesday showed that the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Ogbonnaya Onu, had ordered his return to the position of director in the institute.
The memo, signed by the acting Director, Human Resources Management and Administration, C.A. Ibe, and dated March 21, 2022, was titled, ‘Reverting to Status Quo on the Position of Dr Chima Igwe as Director, Chemical, Fibre and Environmental Technology Department.’
It read, “I am directed to inform you that following the recommendation of a report of the ministerial committee on the Federal Institute of Industrial Research Oshodi, the directive of the Governing Board and the approval of the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, the status quo on the position of Dr Chima C. Igwe is hereby maintained. Consequently, all staff under the above-named department are expected to comply accordingly. Kindly note, for the sake of emphasis, that Dr Chima C. Igwe remains the substantive director of the department.”
Our correspondent has been following events at FIIRO since 2019 when Igwe, against the advice of the Governing Board, was made the acting DG by Onu despite the controversies around his PhD.
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