BY CHINENYEH OZOR

Nsukka — Controversy is now trailing last month’s alleged ‘’commissioning’’ of two projects by the Supervisory Minister of Education, Chief Nyesom Wike, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, as same projects were said to have been completed and  commissioned by previous administrations in the university.

Wike was said to have re-commissioned the School of General Studies, SGS, earlier commissioned by the former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council in the 90’s as well as the Department of Economics Building which had been in use in the institution since the establishment of the university in the early 60’s.

Sources at the UNN told Vanguard that the university administration, presented the buildings which were reportedly repainted as ‘’remodelled’’ projects, which the Minister commissioned as new ones.

Before, the new development, a plaque bearing the name of Mrs. Tejumade Alakija as having  commissioned the SGS building had been on the wall of edifice since the early 90’s, but it was replaced with Wike’s on March 29, 2014, when it was reportedly ‘’commissioned’’ as part of the activities marking the recent convocation ceremony in the institution.

Wike’s visit to UNN for the convocation was his first as the Supervisory Minister of Education.

The SGS Building was one of the ‘’projects’’ planned by the outgoing administration of Professor Okolo to be commissioned as part of its legacies in the institution.

Another building was the one just beside that of the SGS; the Department of Economics, which had been in use since 1960’s but which Professor Okolo’s administration re-furbished.

Investigations carried out by Vanguard at SGS Building, UNN, yesterday, indicated that the administration only replaced old doors and windows and painted parts of the building, but went ahead to invite the Minister to commission it.

Vanguard also, noticed that the old plaque that bore the name of former Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, Mrs. Alakija, had been destroyed and in its place a new one bearing the names of Chief Wike and Professor Okolo was engraved.

One version of the story, according to sources, had it that a mild drama ensued when Chief Wike noticed a spot on the SGS Building where some paint had cleaned off revealing the older layer, and  sought to know what the Vice Chancellor actually did to warrant commissioning of the building.

At this point, according to one source, the Minister declined commissioning the old building.

However, another source said the Minister went ahead to commission the building, any way.

At the Department of Economics Building, there was also a new plaque, with the following inscriptions, ‘’Re-modelling of  Economics Building, sponsored by TETFUND (2006 -2009 Normal intervention project) commissioned by Chief (Barr) Ezenwo Nyesom Wike, supervising Minister of Education, March 29, 2014. Prof. Bartho Okolo, Vice Chancellor, UNN.’’

The UNN acting Public Relations Officer, Mike Asogwa, however denied that any building was commissioned by Chief Wike on March 29, 2014.

Asogwa said, ‘’to the best of my knowledge, no building was commissioned,’’ pointing out that he was not also sure that new plaques were engraved in the re-modelled buildings.’’