The Abia State Government has inaugurated a five-member Special Investigative Committee to examine allegations of harassment and extortion involving some lecturers and students at Abia State University, Uturu.
The state Commissioner for Information, Okey Kanu, announced the development on Monday while briefing journalists in Umuahia after the State Executive Council meeting chaired by Governor Alex Otti.
Kanu said the committee was established to uphold academic integrity and ethical standards within the institution.
According to him, the panel will be headed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Pastor Caleb Ajagba, while the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Dodoh Okafor, will serve as secretary.
Other members of the committee include Chinedu Ekeke, Professor Idowu Eluwa, and Professor Lawrence Idemudua.
Speaking on the panel’s responsibilities, Kanu said the committee had been mandated to identify individuals involved in the allegations and make recommendations to the Visitor of the university.
“The committee is expected to identify perpetrators and make appropriate recommendations to the Visitor to the university,” he said.
He added that the panel would also investigate allegations of bribery and forged certificates reportedly linked to a lecturer in the institution.
“Among its terms of reference are allegations of bribery against a lecturer, as well as claims of forged certificates involving the same lecturer,” Kanu stated.
The commissioner explained that the committee would also assess the implementation level of the white paper issued following the 2024 investigative panel on the university and identify any gaps.
“We want to determine the extent of implementation of the white paper on the 2024 investigation panel and identify implementation gaps,” he added.
Kanu noted that the committee would work in collaboration with the university’s governing council to ensure a thorough investigation.
Meanwhile, the commissioner disclosed that the state had commenced its 2026 Annual School Census to generate accurate data for educational planning and policy development.
He said the exercise, which began on Monday, would run for one month and cover schools across the three senatorial zones of the state.
“The exercise is designed to provide the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education with reliable data for planning, policy formulation, and access to the Hope Education Intervention Grant,” Kanu said.
In a related development, he revealed that the Abia State Agency for Mass Literacy, Adult and Non-Formal Education had established 140 learning centres across the state to expand access to education for adults and individuals who missed formal schooling.
He further disclosed that the Abia State Universal Basic Education Board had recently conducted training and capacity-building programmes for 265 headteachers and 306 Early Childhood Care Development teachers as part of ongoing reforms in the education sector.
The initiatives, according to Kanu, align with the state government’s efforts to reposition public schools and tertiary institutions under Governor Otti’s administration.
