TheCable

Peter Mbah, governor of Enugu, has inaugurated a committee to implement reforms at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) Enugu.

A panel of inquiry was earlier set up and tasked to look into the accounts, management practices, and staff conduct at the institution.

Mbah said the polytechnic, founded in 1965, was fashioned after the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States but would soon become a shadow of itself.

The governor, on Monday at the state house, inaugurated a six-person committee to implement the recommendations of the inquiry panel.

The panel has Ed Nwobodo, a professor, as its chairman and Judy Newke, a representative of the civil society organisations, as its secretary.

Also among the panel’s members are Sylvanus Ogbodo representing the ministry of education, Chinenye Ozoagu, Obiamaka Egbo, and Moses Otiji.

Mbah said the committee would ensure the implementation of the investigative panel’s report in six weeks.

He directed that the IMT management cooperate with the implementation committee to achieve desired results.

“I have invited the management of IMT to hear directly from the government and to understand that the committee that has been set up must have unfettered access to whatever documents that they may need,” he said.

“The work of this committee is very important because higher education will play a pivotal role in the capacity and legacy we plan to leave behind at the end of the time.

“All of us must work as a team to ensure that our state regains its glory across the ecosystems of education, infrastructure, environment, and sports, among others.”

Mbah said the committee will evaluate and amend the legal and policy framework governing IMT’s business committee functions to align with best practices.

He said the committee will eliminate unauthorised charges on students while revising fee structures.

The governor said it will also standardise staff appointments, prioritise competency-based hires, and enforce compliance with IMT law.

He said it will enhance revenue generation through internal controls, centralisation of collections, and improved financial management.

Responding, Nwobodo pledged the readiness of the committee to deliver on its mandate.

On his part, Austin Nweze, the rector of IMT Enugu, affirmed that the management would accord the committee all the needed cooperation.