A leadership crisis has erupted into full-blown confrontation at Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, as the institution’s Governing Council has openly defied a directive from the Delta State Commissioner for Higher Education, Prof. Nyerhovwo Tonukari, to reinstate the suspended Rector, Bldr. (Prof.) Emmanuel Achuenu. In a decisive letter dated July 9, 2025, and signed by Council Chairman Hon. Pastor Paul Adingwupu, the Council maintained that Prof. Achuenu’s suspension stands, describing it as lawful, necessary, and in the best interest of the Polytechnic.
According to the Council, the Rector was suspended over serious allegations of financial impropriety and gross indiscipline, following a formal process that included issuing a query and inviting him to appear before the Council for clarification, a request he allegedly refused. The Council insists that the disciplinary action complied strictly with Part IV, Section 17(i) of the Delta State Polytechnic Law, which empowers it to take action against the Rector without external interference.
The Council strongly rebutted the Commissioner’s interpretation of Chapter 6, Section 6.5.1 of the Polytechnic’s Staff Terms and Conditions of Service, arguing that those provisions apply to staff members under the Rector’s purview, not the Rector himself. As the chief executive officer of the Polytechnic, the Rector is subject to disciplinary oversight only by the Council and, in specific cases, the Governor, not by the Commissioner, who the Council emphasized is merely a statutory member and not the final authority on Council resolutions.
In its letter, which was also copied to the Governor of Delta State, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori, the Council attached supporting documents including the initial query, the Rector’s written response, and a formal invitation to appear before the Council, highlighting what it described as Prof. Achuenu’s failure to cooperate with the investigation.
Read also:
- Oborevwori overrules Rector’s suspension at Delta Poly Ogwashi-Uku, slams Governing Council for legal breach
- Crisis rocks Delta Polytechnic as Ogwashi-Uku youths accuse Governing Council Chairman of abuse of power
- Delta Polytechnic denies certificate racketeering allegations amid Journalist’s undercover investigation
The Council’s refusal to reverse the suspension signals a significant power tussle within the state’s higher education sector, with legal and political implications likely to ripple beyond the Polytechnic. “In the light of the foregoing and in the absence of any violation of applicable laws by the Council, we are unable to accede to your directive. Accordingly, the Rector remains suspended in line with the Council’s resolution,” the letter stated firmly.
Sources within the Polytechnic confirm growing tension among staff and students as the standoff persists. While some insiders suggest the Commissioner’s move may be politically motivated, others believe the Council is defending institutional integrity against executive overreach. The inclusion of the Governor in the correspondence indicates the matter could soon land on his desk for arbitration.
As calls for transparency and good governance grow louder across Delta’s educational institutions, the outcome of this unfolding drama at Delta Poly Ogwashi-Uku could set the tone for how public institutions balance autonomy with government oversight in the state.
