The management of Abia State College of Education (Technical) Arochukwu, ASCETA, has dismissed some reports on social media that said that the provost of the college, Professor Vincent Onwe, is in trouble for approving the payment of half salaries to some staff of the college.
Rather, the school said that the 13th month salary was paid to the college’s staff, which, was mistaken in the media as half salaries.
Some social media reports earlier in the week accused Professor Vincent Onwe of approving N17,000 as January 2024 salaries for some workers in the institution, even after the college received full subvention from the Abia State government.
The reports also said that the slashed salaries caused an uproar among the affected staff and also made some top officials of the Abia State Government bombard Prof. Onwe with questions regarding the alleged slashing of salaries.
In a statement made available to newsmen by Mercy Mba, the media adviser of Prof. Onwe, the ASCETA management described the social media reports as the work of “desperadoes,” who are envious of the peace restored to the college since October 2023, when Prof. Onwe took over as provost.
The management disclosed that the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Crimes Commission, ICPC and Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, are currently investigating the alleged diversion of funds by some officials in the institution. She, however, insisted that the said diversion of funds happened in the past when Prof. Onwe was not the provost.
The institution is under intense pressure from TETFund and ICPC, who, according to Mercy Mba, are trying to recover some money voted for conferences for staff but were not utilised.
The college management further stated that 15 per cent of workers’ salaries in ASCETA were deducted from sources in the past, to cut grasses. She promised that such would not happen again in the institution.
The ASCETA management said that the alleged mismanagement of funds, which happened in the past, is presently under investigation by the Abia State Panel on Recovery of Government Properties and Funds in Umuahia.
The college further said it is keeping to the position of Governor Alex Otti, which is against the diversion of public funds meant for salaries.
