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FIIRO Boss Embroiled in PhD Certificate Scandal

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Chima Igwe, director-general, Federal Institute of Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, has come under intense fire after failing to present his PhD certificate more than 18 years after claiming to have bagged the degree, according to the Punch.

 

Igwe, who claimed to have bagged the degree from the Universite Nationale du Benin (now Universite d’Abomey- Calavi) in Benin Republic, received several promotions based on the purported degree.

 

He was said to have been promoted at least three times based on the degree.

 

However, the only evidence of the purported PhD is an attestation letter.

 

Despite Igwe’s inability to provide the certificate, it was learnt that he scaled through several verification exercises at FIIRO, an institute under the Ministry of Science and Technology.

 

Some officials of the institute later petitioned the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) on the matter.

 

The issue became contentious when the tenure of Prof. Gloria Elemo, immediate past director-general of FIIRO,, ended and there was the need for a new head for the institute.

 

The Punch gathered that the governing board of the institute, while shopping for Elemo’s replacement, called for the files of senior officers of the agency.

 

Igwe, being the most senior, was the apparent successor to the office until the controversy resurfaced: a PhD certificate could not be found in his file to support his claim.

 

Alhaji Ibrahim Gwarzo, chairman of the Governing Board, in a letter to Ogbonnaya Onu, minister of Science and Technology, said Igwe was not fit to occupy the position.

 

He explained that the officer had refused to submit his PhD certificate “17 years after submitting a letter of attestation.”

 

The board, he said in the letter, had given him ultimatums, which he failed to meet.

 

Gwarzo noted that the case was already before the ICPC, adding that the next most senior official in the institute should be appointed in acting capacity pending when a substantive DG would be selected.

 

The letter, a copy of which was obtained by The Punch, was acknowledged by the office of the minister at 10.08am on April 23, 2019.

 

The chairman also attached to the letter findings of the establishment committee of the board on the matter.

 

However, the recommendation of the board was rejected by the ministry.

 

A directive from a top official of the ministry asked the outgoing DG to hand over to the most senior director (Igwe) in line with circulars of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

 

Information on the LinkedIn account of Igwe showed that he joined FIIRO in June 1991 and has worked in the institute for 28 years.

 

From information on the official website of FIIRO, the 57-year-old joined as a Research Officer 1 and rose through the ranks to become the Director, Chemical Fibre and Environmental Technology Department in June 2010.

 

He was appointed the acting DG on May 13, 2019.

 

Workers at the institute, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said very few people knew that Igwe did not have a certificate to back his PhD claim until some months to the retirement of the former DG.

 

One of them said members of the board who looked into Igwe’s file were surprised there was no PhD certificate there.


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Egueke, Former Bank Manager Jailed for $46,900 Fraud

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Fidelis Egueke, former bank manager, , has been convicted and sentenced to six months in prison by an Asaba, Delta State Chief Magistrate’s Court for defrauding a victim of $46,900.

Egueke, Former Bank Manager Jailed for $46,900 Fraud

Chief Magistrate Callistus Isioma Moeteke found Egueke guilty of a single charge brought against him by the police under case number CMA/295c/2024.

Raphael Eze, prosecutor, of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Asaba, said Egueke, a former Asaba branch manager of a tier-one bank, fraudulently obtained $46,900 by using two Certificates of Occupancy (CofOs) as collateral.

One of the land titles, however, was not his, and the other was fake.

After receiving the money, Egueke used it for personal expenses and failed to repay the victim as promised.

The prosecution argued that Egueke’s actions violated Section 419 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C21, Vol.1 Laws of Delta State, Nigeria, 2006.

Despite denying the offence, Egueke failed to present evidence of repayment during the trial.

Chief Magistrate Moeteke determined that the prosecution had proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Egueke was convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment.

However, the court also gave him the option to pay a fine of N350,000 in lieu of serving the prison term.

The court ordered Egueke to pay N30 million in restitution to the victim within six months of his conviction.

The charge against Egueke stated that, in 2016, he fraudulently obtained a credit facility worth $46,900 (approximately N60 million) from Chief Jude Ndudi by presenting false documents, including land titles that did not belong to him, in violation of Section 419 of the Criminal Code Law.

Egueke is also facing trial before a Lagos Federal High Court on charges related to a separate fraud case involving N179.498 million.

He is being prosecuted by the Force Criminal Investigation Department (ForceCID), Annex Alagbon-Ikoyi, Lagos.

 

 


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PalmPay, Jumia Reward Users in Festive Campaign

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This holiday season just got a whole lot more exciting! PalmPay, one of Africa’s leading fintech platforms, operates Nigeria’s most used mobile wallet and has teamed up with Jumia, the continent’s e-commerce giant, to launch a festive campaign that’s all about convenience, rewards, and enhancing your shopping experience.

Running from December 11th to 28th, 2024, this holiday campaign is set to reward shoppers who use the new “Pay with PalmPay” feature on Jumia with cash prizes. Every purchase made using the direct payment method automatically enters participants into a draw, giving them a chance to win exciting cash rewards while enjoying the seamless shopping and payment process.

A Strategic Partnership To Enhance Digital Payments

The integration of the “Pay with PalmPay Wallet” feature on Jumia marks a major milestone in the partnership between the two industry leaders.

Speaking at the media announcement, Mr. Chika Nwosu, Managing Director of PalmPay, highlighted the broader mission driving this collaboration: “We are thrilled to join forces with Jumia to redefine convenience for shoppers. At PalmPay, our mission has always been to drive economic empowerment through accessible and user-friendly financial services. This partnership is a natural step forward in achieving that goal.”

Beyond the holidays, this partnership with Jumia m,k is a signal of bigger things to come. Mr. Chika added: “This is more than just about payments—it’s about creating value for our customers. We are excited about the opportunities this partnership will unlock in 2025, including campaigns and innovative initiatives that will further transform the online shopping landscape.”

Sunil Natraj, CEO of Jumia Nigeria, highlighted the shared vision between both companies, stating: “At Jumia, we are dedicated to creating value for our customers by ensuring a convenient, reliable, and secure shopping experience. This partnership with PalmPay strengthens our commitment to enhancing the digital payments within our platform. By integrating PalmPay, we are providing more options for customers to access affordable and quality goods with the convenience of cashless transactions.”

How to Join the Holiday Fun

Participating in the campaign is simple. When shopping on Jumia, select the “Pay with PalmPay” option at checkout, and your entry into the draw is automatic. It’s that easy!

Bonus Entry: Share a screenshot of your purchase on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #PalmPayXJumia to increase your chances of winning. Additional winners will be selected from participants engaging with the campaign on Twitter.

Whether you are shopping for gifts, or gadgets this festive season, PalmPay and Jumia are making sure your experience is not only seamless but also rewarding.

To learn more about the campaign, stay tuned to the official  X accounts (formerly Twitter) of @palmpay_ng and @JumiaNigeria. for updates, announcements, and more chances to win.


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Corruption: ICPC Threatens Sanctions as 330 MDAs Fail Financial, Governance Tests

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Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC), has revealed that none of the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), in the country complied fully with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures in the passing year.

Corruption: ICPC Threatens Sanctions as 330 MDAs Fail Financial, Governance Tests

This was following the findings from the Commission’s Ethics and Integrity Compliance Scorecard (EICS) for the MDAs.

The Commission warned that henceforth, non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives.

According to the EICS scorecard released on Thursday in Abuja by Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, no MDA out of 330 MDAs that were assessed through physical deployment by ICPC teams achieved full compliance.

The EICS serves as a preventive tool used to assess and enhance the compliance of MDAs with ethical standards, policies, and anti-corruption measures.

Findings from the report indicated that no MDA achieved full compliance, while 29.55 per cent of MDAs captured attained substantial compliance, and 51.62 per cent had partial compliance.

The report also observed that 15.91 per cent showed poor compliance, while 292 per cent were non-compliant.

According to the report, common gaps included a lack of whistle-blower policies, strategic plans, and effective stock verification units, adding that many MDAs failed to conduct any forms of system studies or render financial and audit reports.

Commenting on the report, Bakare noted: “This year, 2024, the tool covered 323 responsive MDAs, with 15 MDAs non-responsive and categorised as high corruption risk.

“It is imperative to inform you that this initiative has yielded some positive and value-driven impacts, and these are, but not limited to, increased awareness and compliance with anti-corruption measures, enhanced competition among MDAs to meet criteria, and improved procurement processes and data reliability.

“The Commission recognises the MDAs with substantial compliance and will continue deploying these tools to promote integrity and accountability.

“Non-compliant MDAs will face necessary actions, including enforcement, to ensure adherence to government directives. We are certain that these efforts will continue to underline ICPC’s dedication to enhancing good governance and preventing corruption.”


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