The whistleblower alleged that Iyoba was working in favour of the institution's ex-Provost, Ezoem Nwanze Ignatius, ex-Director of Works, Chukwuka Jonas Ifechukwude, the registrar, Ugbeche Linus Ifeanyi and others on charges bordering on corruption and fraudulent acts.
A Delta State whistleblower and the former Head of Physical Planning Division of Works and Services Department, Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Joseph Ameh, has raised an alarm, accusing the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission, (ICPC), prosecutor, identified simply as Mrs. Iyoba, of compromise and corruption.
The whistleblower alleged that Iyoba was working in favour of the institution's ex-Provost, Ezoem Nwanze Ignatius, ex-Director of Works, Chukwuka Jonas Ifechukwude, the registrar, Ugbeche Linus Ifeanyi and others on charges bordering on corruption and fraudulent acts.
Ameh, had in 2020 dragged the ex-Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta state, Ezoem Nwanze Ignatius, incumbent Provost, Josephine Anene-Okakwa, acting Director of Works, Ibhafidon Ehimen, ex-Director of Works, Chukwuka Jonas Ifechukwude, the registrar, Ugbeche Linus Ifeanyi and members of the governing council to ICPC over alleged series of corrupt and fraudulent practices.
Following the whistleblower's petitions, the ICPC in a suit marked FHC/ASB /49C/2020, arraigned the institution's ex-provost, Ignatius Nwanze Ezoem, registrar, Linus Ugbechie and former Director of Works, Chukwuka Jonas Ifechukwude on the 11 February, 2021 on six counts bordering on corruption and fraudulent acts at the Federal High Court, Asaba, Delta state.
Ameh, who was sacked by the incumbent Provost of the institution, Josephine Anene-Okakwa following his petitions to the commission, had earlier indicted the ICPC for revealing his information to the institution, which eventually led to the termination of his appointment by the college.
The present provost, Anene-Okakwa, had allegedly openly boasted that the ICPC team was out to extort money and having been paid, the investigation was dead and that nothing would come out of it because the matter had been settled.
However, it was gathered that there was a mild drama at the Federal High Court, Asaba during the hearing of the matter on Monday, 8, November, 2021 when the ICPC prosecution counsel, Mrs. Iyoba, informed the court she was reducing the charges against the institution's registrar, Ugbeche Linus Ifeanyi.
She also refused to allow the principal witness in the case, Ameh to testify in court before the case was however adjourned till December 27, 2021 for further hearing.
At this junction, the whistleblower, who was no longer comfortable with the attitude of the commission's prosecution counsel, raised some suspicions, accusing the ICPC prosecution counsel of compromise and calling on the ICPC to as a matter of urgency change the prosecution counsel.
In a petition dated November, 11, 2021, titled "My Observed Shortfalls In The Ongoing Prosecution Of The Arraigned Principal Members Of Staff Of Federal College Of Education (Technical), Asaba Upon My Whistle Blowing", addressed to the commission's chairman, Abuja, signed by Joseph Ameh, and obtained by SaharaReporters, the ICPC prosecution counsel, Mrs. Iyoba, was accused of dropping count 5 and 6 carrying weighty charges against the institution's registrar that would have been used to nailed him.
"I have been reliably informed that she has on more than one occasion been brought to court in a black Toyota Prado jeep and seen with the former provost (1st defendant) in circumstances and situations that are clearly indicative of conflict of interest and discomforting to any discerning person. This is also in addition to being a frequent visitor to the school under the guise of soliciting witness evidence on a case that has been conclusively investigated.
“This is a matter of corruption, the key point for establishment of ICPC and others and I expect the paid prosecuting officer to be more serious than me in the fight against corruption. Sir, my humble request is that you do everything necessary within your power to ensure that the justice prevails and that corruption is curbed to the barest minimum and the fight not compromised by making notable example with this case", the petitioner appealed.