ICPC shuts fake medical college in Enugu

• Vows to prosecute politicians who divert constituency project funds
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has shut International College of Professions, a fake medical and nursing college in Nsukka, Enugu State.

ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, stated this yesterday in Abuja.

According to the statement, the school, housed by a decrepit one-storey building in Eha Alumona, an outskirt of Nsukka, has faculty of applied and natural sciences, with degree programmes in basic and advanced auxiliary nursing, medicine and surgery, as well as public relations and mass communication.

She disclosed that the rector, Rev. Nnamdi Obiukwu, claimed before operatives of the commission that the school was affiliated to California University FCE, with accreditation from the National Universities Commission (NUC) and the Ministry of Education, Enugu State.

But officers of ICPC countered that such accreditation did not exist, as the college was only given approval by the Enugu State Ministry of Education to run vocational programmes.

“On staff strength, Obiukwu admitted that the school had just four staff on its payroll. One staff is the registrar and doubles as a lecturer, while there are two full-time lecturers and a part-time one. None of the lecturers has the requisite qualifications.

“The college has over 20 students from first year to final year, paying over N45,000 each per semester. While final year students have been made to pay as much as N250,000 each as graduation fee.

In another vein, ICPC has vowed to go after politicians and contractors who divert funds meant for constituency projects.

The chairman, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, at the launch of Constituency Projects
Tracking Group (CPTG) yesterday in Abuja, advised those involved to either complete the projects as initiated, return the funds or face prosecution.

According to Owasanoye, affected companies and their directors will also be prosecuted, adding that the commission hopes to publish the names of those behind the project failures for possible social sanctions in their communities.

He disclosed that the new board of the commission would address grand corruption found in diversion or misapplication of funds for constituency projects, Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), among others.