"Few months ago, Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board was opened for application and there was a column provided for the Dean of Student Affairs, Mr. Thomas Ojuye, to sign. After the online registration, before final submission at the Dean of Student Affairs office, students were extorted in proxy. Again, the dean working in collaboration with the leadership of the Students' Union Government (SUG) and National Association of Delta State Students (NADESSTU) extorted us," one of the students said.
Students of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, Isoko North Local Government Area of the state, have called for the immediate probe and sack of the Dean of Student Affairs, Thomas Ojuye and the institution's Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) Chairman, America Akpituren Mogbeiyishereje, over "abuse of office, gross misconduct and extortion from vulnerable students".
Some of the students, who spoke in confidence to SaharaReporters, alleged that "abuse of office, extortion and other forms of misconduct have become the order of the day at the office of the Dean of Students Affairs, especially when it concerns the issues of students bursary".
Narrating happenings in the school, one of the students, who preferred not to be named, said: "Few months ago, Delta State Bursary and Scholarship Board was opened for application and there was a column provided for the Dean of Student Affairs, Mr. Thomas Ojuye, to sign. After the online registration, before final submission at the Dean of Student Affairs office, students were extorted in proxy. Again, the dean working in collaboration with the leadership of the Students' Union Government (SUG) and National Association of Delta State Students (NADESSTU) extorted us.
"The dean also extorted and abused his office by compelling students to pay SUG and NADESSTU dues of N1,000 and N500, respectively, three times as against the known and constitutional two times before our applications for the bursary were accepted. Mr. Ojuye and the ASUP chairman must be probed, and if found wanting, must be shown the way out of the institution. They 're too corrupt and deeply involved in sharp practices in the school."
Our correspondent reliably gathered that the institution's election of the National Association of Delta State Students (NADESSTU) held last week was characterised by extortion and manipulation by the Dean of Student Affairs, Mr Thomas Ojuye and the institution's Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, (ASUP), chairman, Mr America Akpituren Mogbeiyishereje.
A final year student of the institution, who is well informed on the NADESSTU election, said: "The election was marred by irregularities, extortion, manipulation, threat and abuse of office by the Dean of Student Affairs, Thomas Ojuye and the school ASUP chairman. They schemed some aspirants out of the race against electoral norms and NADESSTU constitution".
Speaking on the NADESSTU election, a lecturer who preferred not to be named, said he was not happy with the outcome of the election, and also accused the Dean of Student Affairs and the institution's ASUP chairman of corruption.
He said: "The first undemocratic failed attempt carried out by Mr. Ojuye in a bid to scare away other aspirants was the publication of an undated memo for the purchase of nomination form for the NADESSTU election which breached Article (14 ) section 25(B) Viii which states that 'The position of the President and the Speaker is strictly for students with CGPA 2.50 point and above while other positions shall be 2.50 CGPA point and above'.
"But Mr. Ojuye's misconceived memo states that the position of the President is strictly for students with CGPA of 3.00 point and above as against the 2.50 CGPA point as stipulated in the constitution of NADESSTU. The Dean of Students affairs, Mr Thomas Ojuye, actually embarked on this unholy act after receiving a bribe of N500,000 from one of the presidential aspirants who is the only one that meets up with the said, demand but after series of warning he shamefully dropped idea.
"On his part, Mr America, ASUP chairman, an instructor in the Department of Civil Engineering, during the NADESSTU election threatened, coerced and intimidated tribal presidents and election delegates to vote for one of the president aspirants from his Itsekiri axis who is his anointed candidate. Mr. America was also said to have threatened that if the delegates did not vote for his candidate, their election delegates results will be tempered with." the lecturer said.
Following the development, the students have, among other things, called for the immediate probe and sack of Mr. Thomas Ojuye, Dean of Student Affairs, and the ASUP Chairman. They have also called for the set-up of an adhoc committee to re-conduct the NADESSTU election within the next 21 days, and the voting option should be by queuing to curb any malpractice that may be employed during the election.
Our correspondent gathered that aspirants and their agents were not allowed inside the venue of the election.
When contacted, Ojuye shouted on on the phone and boasted that he was untouchable. He did not deny nor confirm the story, while Mogbeiyishereje denied his alleged involvement in the election saga.
In another development, President of the institution Students Union Government (SUG), Timothy Ezie; the Secretary, Lucky Agelibe and the financial secretary, Brilliant Odio, were apprehended by men of the Ozoro police station on a tip.
Our correspondent gathered that the three SUG officials had gone to the Unity bank in Ozoro, with a cheque book after allegedly forging the signature of the Dean of Student Affairs, Mr Thomas Ojuye, who is one of the signatories to the SUG account, to withdraw huge sums of money, and were apprehended and taken to the police station.
"The SUG president and two of his officials forged the signature of the Dean of Student Affairs, Mr Thomas Ojuye, and went to the SUG account at the Unity bank to withdraw huge sums of money. At the bank they were suspected and a call was placed to the Dean who denied them and they were arrested. But after over five hours in detention, the Dean came to the station and arranged for their bail to avoid escalation of the case because in the past, Dean has aided them to loot the union," one of the SUG members said.