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FIIRO DG, Chima Igwe lied about obtaining PhD from Benin Republic, says ICPC

By FMatthew Ogune, Abuja
10 February 2020   |   4:01 am
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said that the Acting Director-General of the Federal Institute for Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Chima Igwe, did not obtain a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University D’Abomey Calavi, Republic of Benin.

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has said that the Acting Director-General of the Federal Institute for Industrial Research (FIIRO), Oshodi, Chima Igwe, did not obtain a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University D’Abomey Calavi, Republic of Benin.

ICPC spokesperson, Rasheedat Okoduwa, who disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, said the commission re-opened investigations into the status of Igwe’s pursuit of a PhD degree on December 3, 2019 upon the discovery of certain gaps, occasioned by ambiguity in the letters from University D’Abomey Calavi, Republic of Benin, language differences and translation of documents in the earlier investigation.

According to Okoduwa, ICPC in the course of its investigation, the ambiguity and confusing language translation issue again reared its head when the institution, in its letter to the Nigerian Mission in Benin dated January 22, 2020, which stated as translated that “… Mr. Chima Carthney Igwe has completed his three-year doctoral programme”, yet the same correspondence further stated that Mr. Igwe had not publicly defended his doctoral thesis and the institution was giving him a chance, at his request, to re-register and update his research results in the current 2019-2020 academic year. It stands to reason therefore that if the PhD programme was concluded, there would have been no need to request re-registration by Mr. Igwe.”

The spokesperson continued: “Although it was confirmed that Mr. Igwe did the required three years for the programme from 1999 to 2002 and wrote a thesis, the commission is firmly of the opinion that he cannot be said to have been awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree since he is yet to complete the process of defence of his thesis in 18 years after he is said to have finished the course work. By global standards, the successful defence of a thesis is a compulsory condition for the award of a PhD.”

Based on this, Okoduwa therefore stated: “In line with its avowed commitment to discharging its duties with professionalism and responsibility the Commission has since communicated its most recent findings and position to the relevant authorities for necessary action.”

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