Sixty five staff of the Imo State College of Advanced Professional Studies, ICAPS have been ordered sacked by the instruction of the State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha.
Imo Trumpeta learnt that most of the staff who were disengaged without pay were given sack letters dated 27th February, 2013, which took effect from February 28th, 2013.
However, it was discovered that some lucky ones among the sacked staff were paid the sum of N15,000 (Fifteen thousand naira) each as pay-off salary.
Many of them who spoke to this Newspaper under anonymity complained that some of them were owed up to six months salary arrears, and were also paid a paltry N15,000 as disengagement fund.
They lamented that, it was inhuman to have been treated in such manner by the Imo State Government after they had toiled night and day to contribute to the present level of achievements recorded in the school, pointing out that even as they were being sacked, some top officers of the school were employing their relations and friends from the back door.
They wondered how the Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha administration which said it is on a rescue mission could order that 65 Imo citizens be thrown into the unemployment market this period of hard times.
They described their sack as pure victimization, even as some of the female members among them alleged that they were sacked simply because they rejected amorous advances from some of the top administrators of the school.
However, for two days, Mr David Day, the President of the school refused to pick his calls, until a source gave Imo Trumpeta the phone number of the Public Relations Officer of the school, Mr Tony.
When contacted, Mr Tony said that Governor Okorocha gave them the order to reduce the staff strength of the school to a manageable number that the school could be able to carter for, adding that following the instruction, some staff were disengaged, but refused to disclose the number.
Mr Tony disclosed that the staff sacked were those redundant, and from departments that were no more relevant to the school.
“Those disengaged were people doing the same jobs and courses that were no more relevant” he told Imo Trumpeta.
The PRO however refused to say how much each staff was given as pay-off, maintaining that it was difficult because the amount differs from each staff.
However, it would be recalled that the Imo College of Advanced Professional Studies, ICAPS, was established by the Owelle Rochas Okorocha’s administration to serve as a “Finishing School” for all professionals.
But the school has been enmeshed in various scandals, including the allegation that it trains armed thugs for the present administration which has been denied by the Government.
The school is located at Egbu road, Owerri in the former premises of Imo state owned newspaper, Statesman Newspapers.
