Dismissed Deputy Rector’s Petition Against Boss Opens Can Of Worms At Federal Poly In Benue

• Allegations:

– That Rector Administers Institution As Criminal Enterprise Via Terrorism, Other Illegalities

– That Rector Is Highhanded, Not Qualified

• Petitioner Has Record Of Violent Conduct, Persistent Industrial Dispute – Management

By Iduh Onah & Amos Aar

IN A BOMBSHELL 94-page petition, dated August 10, 2025, Dr Doris Ngurumun Iorchir, who, until August 18, 2025, was Deputy Rector of the Federal Polytechnic, Wannune (FPW), levelled grave allegations bothering on criminality against the institution’s Rector, Dr Tyover Emmanuel Ashinya.

Dr Iorchir, in her petition, dated 10^th August 2025, accused her principal of not only administering FPW as a ‘personal criminal enterprise’ but also of crimes ranging from sponsorship of a violent attack on the campus, massive financial fraud and namedropping of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.

The Deputy Rector also insinuated that the Rector, based on his credentials, is legally not qualified to be appointed to the position in accordance with the Federal Polytechnics (Amendment) Act, 2019.

In her petition, Dr Iorchir painted a picture of an institution in crisis, orchestrated by a Rector she accused of creating an atmosphere of fear and insecurity which she said necessitate immediate intervention from the highest levels of governance.

But the management of the polytechnic located in the hometown of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Wannune, in Tarka LGA of Benue State, on Thursday, August 21, issued a statement denying the allegations. In the press statement, signed by an unnamed Information Officer, the institution stated that the incidents cited in the petitions “have no links with activities within the Federal Polytechnic Wannune.”

Genesis: A Query and a Response

It is not clear if there had been a cordial relationship between the two principal officers, but National Record gathered from documents obtained from reliable sources, and which are also available on social media, that tensions between Ashinya and Iorchir peaked following an administrative query the Registrar, Dr. Muhammed Ndas Ndaeji, was directed to issue to Iorchir. Her detailed and explosive response to the query cascaded the conflict irretrievably when she exposed a number of underlying issues.

The query, dated August 5, 2025, was delivered to Dr. Iorchir’s office at 12:21pm same day, as indicated on the copy obtained by National Record, demanded that she “explain in writing within 48 hours why disciplinary action should not be taken against her for: “I. Gross abuse of office II. Insubordination to the Office of the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Wannune. III. Harassment, foul language and arrogance to the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Wannune.”

In a detailed six-page response, dated August 7, 2025, Iorchir vigorously denied all accusations, attributing the query to a fallout from a contentious management meeting held on August 4, 2025, concerning the handling of an aptitude test conducted on July 5, 2025, as part of a recruitment exercise.

According to Iorchir, she and the Rector had jointly coordinated the aptitude test taken by over 600 candidates. She said during the test, the Rector publicly announced that results would be released within one week. However, he travelled shortly afterward, leaving the Deputy Rector to oversee the marking process.

Iorchir stated that she assembled a team of academic staff to mark the scripts promptly, and in keeping with the public commitment made by the institution, a preliminary score sheet was submitted to the Rector and Registrar on July 22. She said however that tensions came to a head on August 4 when the Rector convened a meeting and allegedly announced that the test results would be discarded due to alleged leakage and rumours that some of his associates had performed poorly.

Iorchir also claimed in her response to the query that she was falsely accused by the Rector of leaking the results. According to her in what she described as a highly charged scene, the Rector became “furious,” shouted, cursed, and even threatened to throw a stapler at her head. She also alleged that the Rector questioned her qualifications and made defamatory remarks about her previous employment at Benue State University, Makurdi.

“I felt utterly publicly humiliated, defamed unfairly by the Rector whom I expected to protect my dignity. I was deeply distressed and had to at least defend my dignity by verbally objecting. I was deeply distressed, I felt shamed unfairly and I had to at least defend my dignity by verbally objecting to the damaging and defamatory comments the Rector made against me in public within his office. I believe that I have protected rights under our national constitution which prohibits degrading treatment on me by others especially those in superior authority over me. However on this day, I was publicly humiliated and degraded by the Rector with harshly offensive words and even threat to throw a stapler at my head!” Iorchir narrated in her response to the query.

She firmly rejected all three allegations in the query. On the alleged gross abuse of office, she argued that coordinating the marking of scripts in the rector’s absence was within her duties as deputy rector and she did it in the best interest of the polytechnic.

On alleged insubordination, she cited the Federal Polytechnics (Amendment) Act, 2019, affirming that her role is to assist and act in place of the rector when necessary. On alleged harassment and use of foul language; Iorchir maintained that she was the victim, not the perpetrator, of harassment and verbal abuse, and that she only spoke up to defend her reputation.

She concluded her response to the query by expressing regret over the confrontation, even as she did not admit guilt. Instead, she suggested that the rector may have misinterpreted her strong recommendation to use the test results as an attempt to dictate policy. She also voiced concern that discarding the results could damage the reputation of the institution and even implicate the SGF, Senator Akume, who the Rector was said to have endorsed the test for quality assurance.

Deputy Rector’s Dismissal

Following the exchange of query and response, Iorchir, was summarily dismissed, although it is yet unclear if the management of the institution had exhausted the requisite procedures under the federal public service rules.

Conveying her dismissal in a letter dated August 18, 2025, entitled “Letter of Dismissal,” the Registrar and Secretary to Council, Dr. Ndaeji, stated: “At its emergency meeting held on the 18th August, 2025, the Governing Council of Federal Polytechnic Wannune considered and deliberated on the report of the Management Disciplinary Committee as it affects you.

“Having established the following cases against you: i. Insubordination to the constituted authority; ii. Arrogance to the Rector; iii. Use of foul language; iv. Refusal to appear before the Management Disciplinary Committee; v. Unauthorized disclosure of official information, and; vi. Your refusal to provide some vital documents from your former employer(s) after two years of probationary period.

“The Council, based on the recommendations of the Management Disciplinary Committee and in line with Public Service Rules, approved your dismissal with effect from 18th August, 2025.

“Consequently, you are to hand over all the institution’s properties, identity card inclusive, to the Chief Security Officer of the Polytechnic with immediate effect.”

Petition’s Details

Written following her query and response, Iorchir’s petition, addressed to the Governing Council, was also copied to the Benue State Governor, and the Commissioner of Police, under the title: “SOS Report/Petition/Complaint to the Governing Council, Federal Polytechnic Wannune, Benue State.” The portrayed a campus in deep crisis, where the rule of law has been supplanted by alleged intimidation, cronyism and generalised corruption.

The emergent scenario on campus, the deputy rector alleged, is threatening not only the institution’s stability but also security of the entire state.

Violent Attack

The most immediate and alarming allegation centred on an allegedly coordinated attack against the Deputy Rector on the morning of August 7, 2025. According to the petition, over 50 armed thugs invaded the campus, vandalised her official vehicle (Plate No: FEDPOLY WANNUNE 53 Z-06 FG), and openly hunted for her, shouting her name.

Dr Iorchir claims that the Rector was a central orchestrator of the attack. According to the petition, the rector provided an alibi of being present but helpless, casually dispersing the thugs only after they had completed vandalising her car, and then attempting to secretly repair the damage to conceal the incident. The Deputy Rector alleged that the thugs were later hosted at a nearby joint by the rector’s Personal Assistant, Mr. Orkume Twar.

She also alleged that another staff member, Mr. Jeremiah Cheren, was also reportedly seized and tortured by the same group. The petition states that the Rector’s failure to report these serious criminal acts to the police is evidence of his complicity.

Alleged Roots of the Conflict

The petition traces the current crisis to a recruitment aptitude test held on July 5, 2025. Dr Iorchir said acting in her capacity as deputy rector, she organised the marking of over 600 scripts to meet a promised one-week deadline.

When the results were compiled, the petition alleged, they revealed that several close associates and “friends” of the Rector performed abysmally. Candidates like Mr. Akorga Moses (18%), Dr. Iorchir Peter Iorhemen (15%), and Ms. Iorkumba Rachel Mwuese (10%) scored dismally, while qualified candidates, including a recent ND graduate, scored highly, the Deputy Rector stated.

Furious that his preferred candidates had failed, the Rector allegedly convened a management meeting on August 4th, where he verbally assaulted Iorchir, threatened her with a stapler, and ordered an armed policeman to forcibly eject her from his office. According to the Deputy Rector, the Rector declared his intention to jettison the test results entirely to facilitate the hiring of his unqualified associates.

Of Culture of Corruption and, Impunity

Beyond the immediate conflict, the petition also details aan alleged systemic takeover of the Federal Polytechnic, Wannune, by Ashinya and a ““gang”” of non-staff outsiders.

The petitioner also accused some individuals –staff, namely Zack Abon (, purported to be Director of Entrepreneurship),, Gesa Richard (HOD Agric), andamongst others –; of running aan alleged Shadow Administration, by among other things, parading as department heads, collecting unauthorised fees from students, and spending funds without accountability by engaging in massive financial misappropriation.

The petitionDeputy Rector alleged that over ₦250 million may have been misappropriated through dubious contracts, inflated vehicle purchases (including a refurbished accident vehicle for the deputy rectorDeputy Rector), and the hijacking of projects like a recent NBTE accreditation visit.

The petitioner also accused the registrar, Dr Ndaeji, of issuing a confirmation letter to his own daughter, who had a 0-9% work attendance rate and is effectively a “ghost worker,” while denying confirmation to diligent staff.

Iorchir equally accused the rector of unilaterally suspending the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) to stifle dissent with intent to misappropriate the funds raised for an ASUP conference.

Questionable Qualifications of the RectorRector’s Questionable Qualification

In a stunning revelation in her petition, Dr Iorchir questions Dr Ashinya’s eligibility to be rector.

Rector. According to her, the Federal Polytechnics Act mandates that a rector must be a Chief Lecturer with at least five years of experience in that rank.

She however alleged that Dr Ashinya was only a Principal Lecturer at his previous institution, Akperan Orshi Polytechnic, Yandev (AOPY), and was first elevated to Chief Lecturer upon his appointment at FPW in December 2022, giving him less than three years in the rank, not five. This, according to her, implies alleged falsification of official records to secure the appointment.

Name Dropping SGF

Dr. Iorchir’s petition centresalso centred on a critical and recurring allegation – that Dr Ashinya the Rector habitually invoked the name and authority of SGF Akume to legitimise his actions. Specifically, she claimed that on the eve and day of the recruitment aptitude test held on July 5, 2025, the Rector informed staff and candidates that the SGF had issued “firm instructions” for the test to be conducted.

According to her, by framing the test as an order from the highest levels of the Federal Government, she elevates the issue beyond an internal policy, making any move to abandon the results seem like an act of defiance against a superior authority.

She noted that this narrative allowed her to implicitly question the Rector’s judgment and consistency, pointing out that he had cited the SGF’s instruction as the rationale for the test, only to allegedly plan to later jettison its results. Most crucially, she uses Relying on this to reframe the charges of her own insubordination, arguing against her, Iorchir argued that her insistence on using the test results was not defiance of the Rector but a commitment to upholding the lawful directive of the SGF as communicated by the Rector himself.

Iorchir expressed profound personal and professional concern over the potential fallout, noting that she holds the SGF in “very high esteem” and fears that abandoning the test would not only undermine the recruitment process but also seriously damage Senator Akume’s reputation, opening him up to political mudslinging. She portrays herself as a defender of the SGF’s integrity.

Cautioning on the misuse or exploitation of the good name of the SGF, Iorchir also warned that the Rector may attempt to use the SGF’s name to intimidate any investigative panel, given his alleged history of doing so to influence internal decisions.

Appeals For Immediate Action

The deputy rector is therefore urgently prayingdesperately prayed the Governing Council to, among other things, immediately suspend Dr Ashinya and the registrarRegistrar, Dr Ndaeji; the takeover of the campus’ security by the Nigerian Police; initiate thorough investigations by the EFCC, ICPC, and other anti-graft agencies into the financial allegations and probe the rector’sRector’s qualifications.

The petitioner gave the Council a deadline until noon onof August 12, 2025, to act, failing which she will resolve to escalate the matter will be escalated to the National Assembly, anti-corruption agencies, and the media.

She concluded her petition by framing the issues as a national security threat, warning that the culture of impunity and the use of criminal thugs to settle academic scores, if unchecked, could destabilise not just FPW but the entire Benue State.

The Benue State Police Command is yet to confirm if an investigation has been initiated based on the petition.

FPW Denies, Counters Allegations

In its statement on Thursday, the polytechnic said Iorchir’s petition is “laced with barefaced fabrications” indicative of a desperate attempt to divert attention from her own conduct. Stating that instead of answering “probing questions” from the institution regarding her “persistent violent conduct against her colleagues including her superiors,” Iorchir resorted to blackmail and media trials.

FPW also alleged that Iorchir has a documented “history of persistent industrial dispute” with former employers, including the Benue State University, Makurdi (now Rev. Fr. Moses Oshio Adasu University), Veritas University, Abuja, and Dorben Polytechnic.

The statement revealed that the institution’s Governing Council has scheduled a date to consider her petition, although the statement was silent on the date. It also did not explain why the Council approved Iorchir dismissal before considering her petition.

It argued that taking the matter to the public domain instead of awaiting the council’s process was a “sign of desperation and a cheap attempt to divert attention from the real issues.”

The polytechnic highlighted the achievements under the leadership of Dr Ashinya, describing his administration as “transparent, inclusive, and open-door.” The statement pointed to the institution’s “astronomical growth,” noting that it has expanded from two National Diploma programmes to twenty-four, while also introducing eight Higher National Diploma programmes in under two years.

On security, the statement firmly asserted that the campus is peaceful and secure due to cooperation with local security formations, traditional rulers, and the host community. It emphasised that there are no cases of security breaches” and that the safety of staff and students is a top priority.

The statement sternly warned that Iorchir could be held culpable should any harm come to any staff or student, against the backdrop of her desperation of “delving into security issues that are beyond the scope of the polytechnic”.

The public was urged to disregard the allegations entirely, with the polytechnic claiming that Iorchir “has apparently become a tool in the hands of some political actors who seek to distract the polytechnic from the path of accelerated development.”

As at press time, the Benue State Police Command was yet to respond to our enquiries to ascertain if they had received a copy of the petition and its response.

The Federal Polytechnic, Wannune, was approved by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2021 and commenced academic programmes in 2022.

The institution had been a point of major political tension between Senator Akume and Senator Barnabas Gemade. Gemade was believed to have, while he was at the National Assembly, initiated the legislative process for the institution’s establishment, proposed to be sited in Kwande. It was, however, alleged to have been relocated under pressures from Akume via his influence during the Buhari administration to his hometown of Wannune, even when some structures were said to have been built at the proposed site in Kwande.