The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) said it has reopened investigation into the status of Chima Igwe’s PhD certification following further complaints received on the matter.
Chima Igwe, the Director-General of the Federal Institute of Industrial Research, Oshodi, has been accused of failing to present his PhD certificate more than 17 years after claiming to have bagged the degree from the Universite Nationale du Benin (now Universite d’Abomey- Calavi) in Benin Republic.
The ICPC, in a statement it released today, said its “attention has been drawn to a publication in The Punch of December 30, 2019 captioned “Against varsity’s pronouncement ICPC clears embattled FIIRO DG’s PhD.
“The publication quoted excerpts of a letter from ICPC to the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology that the Commission in its findings discovered that “Dr. Chima Igwe attended and obtained a PhD certificate from University D’Abomey Calavi, Republic of Benin”.
But the commission said it “wishes to place on record that it relied on communication from sister agencies in response to its enquiry on the status of Chima Igwe’s PhD certification in arriving at the position communicated to the Honourable Minister.
“ICPC did no wrong in relying upon information obtained from other government agencies with the functional domain of the subject of enquiry. Such inter-agency confidence is global practice.
“However in the light of further complaints received on the matter, the Commission has, since the 3rd of December 2019, re-opened investigation into the status of Chima Igwe’s PhD certification.
“ICPC remains committed to a professional discharge of its mandate and will not be part of any scheme to cover up wrongdoing.”
