The Federal Ministry of Science and Technology has said it acted within its powers by appointing Chima Igwe as the acting Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, Lagos, Punch report.
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While insisting that Igwe remained the head of the institute, the ministry said Igwe, a former director-general of the agency, Prof Gloria Elemo, and the governing board, were in the best position to explain the circumstances surrounding his controversial doctorate.
The ministry spokesperson, Abdulganiyu Aminu, stated these on Thursday while reacting to an investigation by The PUNCH.
Our correspondent had reported that Igwe claimed he completed his doctorate at the Abomey-Calavi University, Benin Republic.
But it was discovered that the 57-year-old did not have a certificate to back his PhD claim.
The case was said to have been taken up by the Independent and Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission.
But the spokesperson for the Ministry of Science and Technology, Aminu, on Thursday said Igwe became a director before Onu was appointed a minister.
“Dr Igwe, based on the records available, is the most senior director in FIIRO, and he was appointed director in 2010, which is five years before the minister was appointed in his first tenure,” Aminu said.
Asked to react to the controversial PhD on which basis Igwe had got promoted to that point, he said, “I think you should contact him directly to get the information from him. It is not to the knowledge of the ministry that he has a case with the ICPC. Except the ICPC writes us, we may not even know. So, we don’t know about the investigation.”
Asked what the ministry would do after confirming the PhD was non-existent, he said, “It’s a speculation. Let’s wait and see what happens if it is confirmed.”
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