ASUP Declares Two-Week Strike Over Alleged Certificate Racketeering at Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) at Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku, has declared a two-week warning strike following allegations of certificate racketeering that have rocked the institution.
The strike comes after a whistleblower, Raphael Ufua, accused some senior officers of the polytechnic of issuing certificates to individuals who never attended the school — a claim that has sparked widespread controversy and damaged the school’s reputation.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, ASUP Chairman, Dr. Michael Ohana, said the unresolved allegations had brought “serious embarrassment” to both staff and students of the institution.
He said, “A serious cause for concern is how the yet-to-be-verified result racketeering issue has permeated social media, bringing staff and the institution into public disrepute.
“Our members are the worst hit. When we relate with the outside world, we can no longer proudly say we work at Delta State Polytechnic, Ogwashi-Uku. Meanwhile, essential teaching and learning resources have become almost nonexistent.”
Ohana explained that despite several meetings and ultimatums, the state government had failed to take decisive action to resolve the crisis between the Governing Council and the Management of the polytechnic.
He recalled that in February 2025, the Governing Council suspended the Registrar over alleged result racketeering without due diligence, and later in July 2025, the Rector was also suspended over unproven financial misconduct — a move the state governor eventually described as unlawful.
“Despite the union’s relentless efforts, these issues remain unresolved. Therefore, ASUP suspends its services to the state government for 14 days, hoping that the government will act on existing investigative reports instead of setting up endless committees,” Ohana stated.
He also accused the Nigerian Police of harassing staff members, saying that several Heads of Department had been summoned to Abuja over alleged forged results.
“The government must call the Governing Council to order and properly define their mandates so they can operate in line with how academic councils function in other tertiary institutions,” he added.
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ASUP further called for the arrest and prosecution of the whistleblower, Raphael Ufua, whom they accused of spreading false claims that had tarnished the institution’s image.
According to the union, the alleged racketeering scandal was not perpetrated by principal officers or management staff, but by individuals acting outside the institution’s authority.
The strike, which takes immediate effect, is expected to last two weeks, pending the government’s response to the union’s demands.
