BY VINCENT UJUMADU

AWKA – GOVERNOR Peter Obi of Anambra State yesterday in Onitsha ordered the arrest of the immediate past principal of Washington Memorial Grammar School in the commercial city, Mr. Patrick Asiegbu, over alleged failure to utilise judiciously the N13 million given to the school for  rehabilitation of dilapidated buildings.

The state government had been using school heads to reconstruct schools, following what was considered as an excellent result recorded by some of them used as pilot scheme.

It was observed, however, that of late, some of the principals have been misusing the funds, requiring the governor to begin more serious monitoring of the application of funds released to them.

The order on Mr. Asiegbu started yesterday when the governor, without notice, embarked on routine inspection of some schools he gave out money for rehabilitation.

When the governior arrived at Washington Memorial Grammar School, he expressed disappointment that no structure had been rehabilitated, despite releasing N13 million  to the principal of the school.

When he asked questions, members of the Old Boys Association of the School, led by . Nwakibie Emeagwali, said the problem was because the former principal, Asiegbu, who is no longer in the school, hijacked the project and messed it up.

Corroborating Emeagwali’s statement, Chairman of the Post-Primary School Service Commission, Sir Norbert Obi, said  the principal refused to involve the works committee of the school, adding that he spent the money injudiciously.

He informed the governor that because of the shady deals, the commission had to suspend the principal, adding that he was later reinstated and posted to the Commission’s headquarters on the intervention of the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Kay Onyechi.