The Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny (FPOG) may become a theater of the absurd on Monday, November 21, 2022 as the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education and the institution’s Governing Council flex muscles over the resumption of the suspended Rector, Professor Tamunoimim Abbey.
Lawyer to the Governing Council, Joseph Fombo had written the Permanent Secretary demanding the withdrawal of his letter directing Prof. Abbey to resume duty in compliance with the judgment of the National Industrial Court, warning him that refusal to do so would amount to contempt of court.
In the letter dated Friday, November 11, 2022, which he personally signed as sighted by Kristina Reports with the caption “RE: REPORT OF THE JUDGMENT DELIVERED BY THE NATIONAL INDUSTRIAL COURT, PORT HARCOURT. CONTEMPT OF COURT AND THREAT TO LAW’AND ORDER IN BONNY KINGDOM”, Fombo stated that only the court can enforce its judgment and not the Permanent Secretary.
He further stated that the said judgment in favour of Prof Abbey had been appealed against in Suit No. CA/PH/489/2022 (Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas Vs. Prof. T. M. Abbey) and a Motion for Stay of Execution filed and fixed for Thursday, January 19, 2023.
But in a swift reaction, Prof Abbey dismissed the claims of the lawyer, querying if any court had issued an order of stay of execution or any related order whatsoever, asserting that he would resume duty on Monday, November 21, 2022 as directed by the Permanent Secretary.
Prof Abbey told Kristina Reports that he was resuming to continue the good work he was doing in the institution, stressing that “my vision is to build the school into a world class institution, but go there now and see the state of the institution. It is sad”.
The National Industrial Court sitting in Port Harcourt had on Friday, October 21, 2022 delivered its judgment on a case between the Polytechnic and its Rector. On the strength of this judgment, the Permanent Secretary, through the Director of Legal Services, Grace Ekanem, directed Prof Abbey to resume duty.
But Fombo asserts that once an appeal is filed before an appellate court, parties must maintain the status quo, especially, where a stay of execution motion has been filed before the court which gave the judgment and a date fixed.
“It is clear in law that once an appeal has been filed and stay of execution is filed before the court, the status quo has to be maintained. It is not in the place of the Minister, Permanent Secretary or even the President to enforce a court’s order. It is the court that enforces its own order through the sheriff department.”
The Counsel to the Governing Council warned that the Permanent Secretary, alongside Mrs. Ekanem, risks being charged for contempt of court should he go ahead to show bias in favour of Prof. Abbey in the ongoing case between him and the institution, adding that such action was capable of inciting crisis in Bonny Island, Rivers State and tantamount to acting in defiance of the court.
Checks by Kristina Reports indicate that plans were underway to hold a grand reception for Prof. Abbey with several individuals, groups and communities invited to welcome him back to the Polytechnic on Monday, November 21, 2022. One of such communities is Oguede Community.
The Chief and Head of the Jack-Manilla Pepple Chieftaincy House, owners of Oguede Community, Wari-Alabo Iganima Jack-Manilla Pepple confirmed to Kristina Reports that an invitation was sent to him, regretting, however, that he could only receive the Rector on a courtesy visit as his people were billed to perform cultural plays in honour of the demised Chief and Head of Benstowe Chieftaincy House, late Se-Alabo Godswill Benstowe on the same date.
When contacted by Kristina Reports, a member of the Governing Council, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the planned grand reception as “day dreaming”, asserting that there was “nothing like that,” adding that it was “a propaganda”.
A concerned staff of the institution, who preferred anonymity, pleaded with the security agencies to persuade the suspended Rector to stay away from the Polytechnic until all the cases are properly resolved in court to avoid any form of crisis in the institution.
“You know the problem this whole issue about the Prof has caused all this while, we don’t want trouble. Now the Prof wants to come when they have not settled the matter in court. Please let the DPO, DSS and other security agencies persuade him to stay away until their case is settled in court.”
Some students who also spoke with Kristina Reports expressed fears that the institution may erupt in crisis over the Rector’s resumption if nothing was done to either restrain him or provide a secure atmosphere for his resumption to duty.
One of them, who only identified himself as Aniekan lamented that “we know the staff are divided in their support between the Rector and Acting Rector and this resumption thing now would only ignite more problems on campus and we will be in the centre of it all”.
A knowledgeable source within the institution, who does not want to be named, told Kristina Reports that the said directive may be targeted at setting up the embattled Rector against his kinswoman, Ibifiri Pollyn, who is the Acting Rector, and orchestrate crisis between staff and sympathizers of the two officials, advising both of them to exercise caution in order not to incite crisis on campus.
Professor Tamunoimim Abbey hails from Dema-Abbey Community, which is part of the Abbey Chieftaincy House of Bonny Kingdom, while Ibifiri Pollyn hails from Kalaibiama Community, which is the homestead of the Pollyn Chieftaincy House, also of Bonny Kingdom.
Please investigate about the state of the institution when the Rector Prof. T. M. Abbey was In-Charge & the present state of the institution now it was hijacked by some ingrates who’s interested in sharing unworked penny at the expense of the future of our generations unborn. My concern is Joseph Fombo. Just tell him that the letter he impersonated Registered Trustees of NAPO in the office of the Commissioner of Police Rivers State Police Command will soon visit him. Since he has stood up against anything good for the good indigenous people of Grand Bonny Kingdom.
Comr. Harold I. Benstowe PG NAPO/Member CWC TUC