There are indications that President Muhammadu Buhari may have directed that the reappointment of Joshua Okpo as Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron in Akwa Ibom State be properly investigated.

LEADERSHIP gathered that this followed a petition written to him by a group of Niger Delta youths, urging him to reverse Rector’s reappointment which was perfected in May this year under the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

In the petition dated August 2, 2015, the youths operating under a civil rights organisation, Oro Youths Movement (OYOM) told President Buhari that Okpo is currently being investigated by the Inspector general of Police and Department of State Security Service (DSS), for forgery of a re-appointment letter.

A copy of the reappointment letter referenced PRES/87/MF/652/83/MPWR/141/81/SGF/4/547 and dated May 27, 2015 is said to have originate from the Presidency and duly signed by one Matt. Aikhiobare, Senior Special Assistant to the former President on Administration.

The petitioners contended that it was wrong for the Transport Ministry and the State House Permanent Secretary to have recommended that the president should approve the reappointment of Okpo as rector when members of the host community have lodged complaints which is currently being investigated by the Police.

The civil rights youths, while appealing to the president to revisit the reappointment with a view to rescind it if indeed he was the one that approved, noted that it is in the spirit of the current administrations’ resolve to get rid of corruption and corrupt public officials in the country.

A source in the presidency told our correspondent that based on the petition, the president has requested that he be properly furnished about what actually transpired in the reappointment process of Okpo as Rector of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria.

The source who does not want his name in print since he is not spokesperson for the presidency said, “With the petition indicating that there is a complaint of allege forgery against the Rector before the Police, the president would want to properly ensure that the process of Okpo’s reappointment which commenced under the immediate past administration was transparent.

“You know that President Buhari is one leader who does not tolerate corruption and other sharp practices anywhere where, not to talk of the one said to have been committed under his nose. The directive that he should be properly furnished with the process of the Rector’s reappointment is to enable him determine whether the process was properly done without any trace of forgery”, he added.

In the petition to President Buhari, the youths alleged that Okpo lacked the transparency and honesty to occupy a sensitive position in the present government which champions accountability, fights corruption, fraud and embezzlement.

“It sounds very ridiculous for Joshua Okpo who is currently undergoing investigation in respect of forgery to be recommended and be re-appointed as Rector, Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron. We firmly believed that Mr. President was misguided by the ministry of transport officials and Engineer Nebolisa Emodi”, they noted.

The petitioners who attached documents to their letter to the president as evidence of their claim insisted that the prerequisite qualifications to man a high academic institution especially a specialised one like the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, located in Oron in Akwa Ibom State.

“The on-going investigation was carried out based on a petition raised by Chief (Barrister) Emmanuel Ekpenyong of UPA Chambers, dated June 29, 2015 and copied to Mr. President, the DSS, and the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Transport”, the petition made available to LEADERSHIP Sunday further noted.

The petitioners also accused Okpo of “mischievously and recklessly employing more than four hundred people during his first tenure, including his wife; Mrs. Ansa Odo, his daughter, Inene Joshua Okpo, his niece, Mary Okpo and other close associates into the Maritime Academy without following due process, employment interviews and without obeying the Federal Character Commission Act,” thereby conferring undue advantage to himself contrary to ICPC Act.

The youths contended that since the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron had been upgraded to a university, amore qualified academician with at least PhD degree should have been appointed to man the academy on acting capacity pending when a vice chancellor will be appointed for the takeoff of the university.

Contending that the reappointment of the rector violates Section 7 (1) and (3) Decree No 16 of 1988 (Now Cap 217 laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria), which states that, “There shall be an officer of the Academy to be known as the Rector who shall be appointed by the President, Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces on the recommendation of the minister,” the petitioners observed that in this case the recommendation was made by a permanent secretary.