Why Gov. Ihedioha Converted Okorocha’s Eastern Palm University As IMSU Orlu Campus, Says Committee

Dan Opara

The Committee on the Review of newly established Tertiary Institutions in Imo State, under Gov. Emeka Ihedioha, has explained why the Imo State Government had to take over the Eastern Palm University, Ogboko, in Ideato South LGA of Imo State, which was built by the immediate past Imo Gov. Rochas Okorocha.

The University was allegedly owned by Chief Rochas Okorocha after the 8th Imo Assembly had allotted 90 percent equity shares to trustees of Rochas Foundation and 10 percent to Imo State Government.

Chairman of the Committee, Prof. Jude Njoku, a former Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, in a media briefing, on Wed.31th July, 2019, in Owerri, said that the Eastern Palm University has now been converted to a campus of the Imo State University, IMSU, Orlu Campus.

He said the committee established a prima facie that the institution was established with state funds.

The Committee further recommended that the Imo State University of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Aboh-Mbaise/Ngor-Okpala and the University of Science and Technology, Umuna should remain campuses of Imo State University while Aboh/Okpala will be the campus for Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, and Umuna will be for Engineering as earlier conceived.

According to him, a Judicial Commission of inquiry is in the offing to determine the sources of funding and ownership structure of the university.

Prof. Njoku explained that based on the findings of the Committee at the National Universities Commission, NUC it was gathered that approval was given to EPU as the 2nd Imo State University, 47th State University and 143rd Nigerian University.

In addition, Njoku stated that it was discovered that the land was purchased and paid for by the State Government.

The Committee also scrapped all Polytechnics of the immediate past Imo Governor Rochas Okorocha administration established.