By Chidi Levi
The last may not have been heard about the controversy surrounding the ownership status of Eastern Palm University, Ogboko, Ideato South local government area of Imo state.
A day after Imo state Government said it has recovered the University from former Governor Rochas Okorocha, who now represents Imo west Senatorial District in the Senate, the former Governor, in a prese statement, pooh poohed the move, describing it as a ploy to distract Imolites. He pleaded with the people of the state to disregard the Government’s announcement.
Notedly, the Eastern Palm University ownership dispute further exacerbates the strained relationship between Governor Hope Uzodinma and Okorocha, both chieftains of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
While Governor Uzodinma said he is rebuilding Imo from what he describes as the ruins Okorocha left it, the former Governor insists his successor is fighting him in order to cover up for the collapse of governance in the state under his( Governor Uzodinma’s) watch.
Essentially, while the Imo State Government say the Eastern Palm University was built with public fund by Okorocha and thus belongs to the state, Okorocha claims his Rochas Foundation and Imo state government jointly own the institution situated at Ogboko, his ( Okoroacha’s hometown).
This in itself raises a nagging poser: why would a sitting governor, in his private capacity, go into a joint business venture with the state he governs?
But Okorocha’s supporters justify his alleged part ownership of the disputed University, insisting that Rochas Foundation is a distinct entity different from the founder.
Announcing the take over of the university, Thursday, the state Commissioner for Information, Declan Emelumba said government was warning all those it called ‘fraudulent claimants’ to stay away from it.
Government, the commissioner said, derived its right to ownership of the institution from the fact that state money was used to build the school.
Obviously referring to Okorocha, Emelumba warned that if those claiming ownership of the University failed to stay away from it, they would be made to face the full weight of the law.
The decision to seize the Eastern Palm University was taken at the weekly Executive Council of Imo State presided over by Governor Uzodimma.
The Council accepted the White paper Report on Land Use and Related Matters which recognizes that the Eastern Palm University is owned by the state.
The White Paper, according to the Commissioner, recommended that the University should be recovered and appropriately designated as a State University in accordance with the laid down guidelines of NUC.
Consequently, Council directed the relevant ministries to take immediate steps to implement the decisions of the Executive Council, in accordance with the White Paper Report.
The Council noted that the university was built with Imo State tax payers money.
But Okorocha in a statement entitled “Imo State Government Does Not Own Eastern Palm University & Can’t Recover It”, issued by his media aide, Sam Onwuemedo, Friday, reminded the Government that “the University is not a market store, you can’t just claim to have recovered it through a press conference”
Okorocha: “This is to plead with the general public to disregard the claim by the State Government, with Chief Hope Uzodinma as Governor, that it has recovered the Eastern Palm University, Ogboko. And the only reason the government gave was that, a Whitepaper, that has not been released, recommended for the recovery. The claim was only aimed at distracting the public from the total collapse of governance in Imo”
The former governor noted that the University was a creation of the law and, therefore, a legal entity, and not a kiosk or market store could wake up one day, to claim or announce to have recovered.
Continuing, Okorocha further said:
“The Eastern Palm University was established by the Imo State of Nigeria, Law No. 3 of 2019. And part II, No.3 (3) Stated that, “the University shall be owned on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis, by the Imo State Government and the Incorporated Trustees of Rochas Foundation, hereinafter referred to as the Parties”.
And the Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding between the Concerned Parties are domiciled in the relevant bodies or Institutions. And the law also provided that any of the Parties, “may decide to opt out of the Agreement upon giving the prescribed notice and meeting the conditions for opting out as contained in the Agreement.
“So, it was absurd for the government to announce to have recovered an Institution established by law, through a Press Conference held in one of the offices in Government House, and claiming too, to have based the illegal and disturbing action, on a Whitepaper, nobody has seen.
“It should also be recalled that long before now, Governor Hope Uzodinma had assured to release the Whitepaper on all the recommendations of the Panels set up by his government or the government before him. And instead of living upto his vow or assurance to release the Whitepaper, he decided to play Politics of Vendetta with the issue.
“The same government did not inform its audience that it has also been in Court over the same University. Why not wait for the Court to give Judgement on the matter you brought to it? Why resorting to self help?
“We want to let all men and women of deserving conscience t know that, the Government in Imo wants to kill the Eastern Palm University like it has killed every other Institution or establishment in the State. Senator Rochas Okorocha had got licences for five Universities as Governor . The structures are on ground, including, the University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Aboh Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala, University of Creative Technology, Nkwerre, Marine University Oguta, University of Medical Sciences, Ideato and so on.
“The government in Imo has abandoned all of them, but only keen in taking over Eastern Palm University.
It is, also, important to state that the Government came up with the worrisome claim of recovering the Eastern Palm University to distract attention from the ugly developments in the State, in the past two days, in which, not less than five Imo Indigenes had been killed, including the former Chairman of the Nigeria Bar Association, NBA, Owerri Branch, Barr. Ndionyenma Nwankwo, because the Security situation in the State has deteriorated. A Journalist, Mr. Precious Nwadike was beaten into coma, allegedly by one of the Governor’s brothers, with his Private Security Personnel. The man was flown to Lagos when his condition was getting out of hand.”
While Governor Uzodinma and Okorocha bicker over the ownership of Eastern Palm University, the fate of students and staff of the ill-fated institution remain a source of worry to keen watchers of the unfolding spat.
