Delta Poly Rector Ufuophu-Biri Faces Fresh Pressure Over Billion-Naira Pension, Tax Fraud as Governing Council Meeting Ends in Stalemate

Secrets Reporters

The crisis of confidence rocking the Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara, deepened yesterday as the institution’s Governing Council held an emergency meeting to address the explosive allegations of massive diversion of staff pensions, National Housing Fund (NHF), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) tax deductions.

The meeting, which lasted over three hours, was convened by the Governing Council Chairman, Chief (Barr.) Oghene-Aga Orugbo, following sustained exposés by SecretsReporters that first revealed how top management officials allegedly diverted over one billion naira meant for staff welfare.

In attendance were the Rector, Prof. Emmanuel Ufuophu-Biri, Deputy Rector Dr. Samuel Azubuike Ogbogu, Registrar Mr. Efedi Chukwuemeke, and other council members. Union leaders present included representatives of ASUP, SSANIP Chairman Mr. Inana Samson, and NASU Chairman Mr. Progress Temienor.

During the meeting, union executives pressed the management to provide concrete evidence that all outstanding deductions had been remitted as claimed. The Rector, however, insisted that all deductions had been paid up to date and blamed disgruntled staff who lost recent union elections or failed to secure promotions and appointments for feeding damaging stories to SecretsReporters. He reportedly directed the unions to organise a press conference to publicly debunk the allegations against him and other principal officers.

SecretsReporters gathered that the union leaders stood their ground, refusing to issue any public statement without verifiable proof of payments. They particularly noted the conspicuous absence of the Bursar, Mr. Sunday Omokaro, describing it as a major setback since he is the chief accounting officer expected to present bank evidence of remittances.

After intense deliberations, the Governing Council Chairman fixed next Friday for the Rector and principal officers, including the Bursar, to meet with the union executives to present concrete evidence of all payments before any further steps are taken.

Insiders who spoke with SecretsReporters after the meeting expressed deep scepticism about the Rector’s claims. In a private conversation overheard between a former Deputy Rector who is also a council member and a recent past union chairman, both were said to have laughed, predicting that the Rector’s demand for evidence would prove to be his undoing since the unions are now insisting on seeing bank transfers and remittance schedules.

This latest development comes barely weeks after SecretsReporters published a series of explosive investigations exposing how the Rector, Bursar, Registrar, and other top officials allegedly diverted staff pension contributions, TETFUND funds, PAYE taxes, NHF, and NHIS deductions running into over one billion naira. The reports triggered partial and selective pension alerts to some staff, ICPC detention of the Rector and other principal officers, and growing public scrutiny of the institution.

The Governing Council meeting is seen as the first major internal response to the scandals, but many staff believe it may amount to another damage-control effort, especially as previous promises of transparency have yielded little verifiable action. The unions are demanding full remittance of all deductions, including accrued interest and penalties as stipulated by the Pension Reform Act.

As pressure continues to mount, stakeholders are watching to see whether Friday’s verification meeting will produce concrete evidence or further expose what many now describe as a culture of impunity and systemic graft at the Delta State Polytechnic, Otefe-Oghara.