The Rector of Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri Dr. Michael Arimanwa has said the management will not victimise the lady who claimed she graduated from the institution with the help of God and her private part.
The student, Ogechi Okoroafor, had said on Tiktok that she graduated from the institution because of her private part and God.
Speaking on the issue in his office on Tuesday while assessing his achievements for four years, Arimanwa assured nobody would victimise the lady under his watch.
He however said that the management will follow the rules and due process in getting to the roots of the matter.
“The lady made the unfortunate video that circulated widely across the world because the video was watched by people nearly everywhere. I have received calls and comments from people almost everywhere on Earth. So, I know that video had gone quite wide. It is an unfortunate thing.
“We have set up a committee and the committee is working, we don’t want to preempt the outcome of the committee because will interact with her tomorrow from the notice I have seen.
“But I want you to notice that the school did not become the best Polytechnic by chance. It is something we have worked for years. A large part of my life has been spent here. I schooled here, I graduated from here, I went did more courses, I came back here as a stàff and now I am the chief executive.
“So, I spent a long long time in this place, I started schooling here in 1982. So somebody cannot just come here and try to spoil very high image of the institution but be assured that like we say, we will make the findings public, everybody is going to know what happened and how it happened and of course, if the girl is aggrieved she can also seek redress.
“But I want you to know that we are not going to in any way victimise her under my watch but we will follow the rules, we will stand by the rule and due process,” he stated.
He further said the school has a mechanism to punish both staff and students who have erred in the past.
“Some people have been published, some people removed as Head of Departments, some have gone through suspension, some people have been downgraded, some people have been barred from promotion for some many reasons,” she stated.
He said apart from the laws given by the government, the institution has internal laws(policies) to guide against infractions.
“So, those who go against such policies whether exam malpractices, sexual harassment or any other infractions, there are rules that we have applied, some have lost promotion, some have been sacked actually, we have sacked like two people, some have been demoted and a few students have been expelled as well for one thing or the other. We have done them dispassionately and laid them to rest.”
