Immediate past Provost of Abia State College of Education, Technical, Arochukwu (ASCETA), Dr Philips Nto has commended the state panel on Recovery of Government Property for being firm and just in the handling of petitions before her .
He noted that he had earlier raised the alarm that some people wanted to use the panel to achieve some sinister purposes and hailed the Chairman,Justice Florence Duruoha Igwe, and the members for resisting them.
Nto spoke after the panel berated the management of ASCETA for denying him access to vital documents he needed to defend himself before the panel on petitions against him.
The panel noted that since the Provost, Prof Vincent Onwe, refused Dr Nto access to the documents, it would no longer need the former Provost to appear again.
Dr Philips Nto had told the panel that the ASCETA management had frustrated all his efforts to access those vital documents to enable him do justice to the petition against him.
According to him, he had written to the current Provost both through the panel and his own lawyer for access only for him to rebuff the moves .
He informed the panel that since he was unceremoniously removed from office before the end of his second tenure as the Provost, it became impossible for him to access not just the documents but his personal effects.
He said as a law abiding citizen who served the state diligently and honestly first as Commissioner for Finance and Economic Planning and later as Provost of ASCETA, he had faithfully appeared before the panel to clear his name against any petition
Dr Philips Nto, who is the current Director of Agricbusines Incubation Centre at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, averred that some people had conspired with ASCETA Union members to tarnish his image.
He said it was unfortunate that after lifting the college from obscurity and placing it as one of the fastest growing institutions with world class infrastructure and digital instructional materials, some people, out of envy, wanted to pull him down.
He expressed gratitude to the panel for resisting such people and standing by the truth and justice.
Dr Philips Nto said that while he has forgiven his traducers, he would go at any lawful length to ensure that he protects his name and reputation built over the years.