* Now K O Mbadiwe University
The former governor of Imo State and member representing Imo West Senatorial District, Senator Rochas Okorocha, has told Governor Hope Uzodinma that an attempt to rename his private university – Eastern Palm University – is a failed gambit.
The former governor also told the Imo State House of Assembly that its repeal of the law establishing the Eastern Palm University is an error that would not stand.
Governor Uzodinma had announced the renaming of the university to K. O. Mbadiwe University shortly after the son of the late politician, Amb. Greg Mbadiwe, decamped to APC at Ward 11 Independent Hall, Ndi Aniche Arondizogu, Ideato North LGA.
The announcement followed the repealing of the law establishing the university earlier on Wednesday by the House of Assembly.
But reacting through his media adviser Sam Onwuemeodo, Okorocha said the repeal of the law establishing the Eastern Palm University has authenticated his claim that the institution is a creation of the law.
“The law establishing the University prescribed the PPP arrangement. Since that was the setting, the Assembly therefore, defaulted or had acted in contravention of the law by not getting the Consent or agreement of the two parties involved, on the reported repeal. In other words, the repeal only existed in the imaginations of those behind it,” the former governor said.
He pointed out that both the assembly and the government had never denied that there was a matter pending in a court of competent jurisdiction on the Eastern Palm University.
“And for both the assembly and the government to be taking one sided decisions on the fate of the university, without reference to the main party and to the court matter, have only made their actions questionable and contemptuous.
“University is not a street one can rename or change its name at a polling unit where he had gone to revalidate his membership of APC. So, the claimed renaming of the university does not add up in reality,” he said.
The Senator continued: “The purported repeal of the law establishing the university by the assembly without recourse to the position of one of the parties has also made the assembly a willing party in the matter in court. And until the court takes decision on the matter before it, there is nothing anybody can do about that.”
The former governor recalled that he had established and got the licences of five universities and four polytechnics while he was governor, and tasked Uzodinma to tell his audience why he was not talking about those universities and polytechnics, but only interested in the Eastern Palm University with PPP status.