Emmanuel Daudu
In a powerful and emotional address on Monday, Dr. Mrs. Victoria Okoronkwo, President and Founder of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria (CIPMN), sounded the alarm over what she described as a “coordinated and sustained attack” on the very soul of the Institute she founded.
Speaking at a press conference held in Abuja, Dr. Okoronkwo detailed a disturbing sequence of events involving impersonation, financial fraud, and the hijack attempt of CIPMN’s identity and digital infrastructure allegedly orchestrated by a former Registrar, Mr. Henry Ifeanyi Mbadiwe, and a group of collaborators.
According to her, the trouble began in 2019 when she appointed Mr. Mbadiwe, then based in the UK, as the pioneer Registrar of CIPMN. What began as a hopeful partnership soon turned into betrayal.
“He began misusing his office, organizing fake trainings, issuing unauthorized certificates, and misleading the public,” Dr. Okoronkwo explained.
A court ruling in December 2020 (SUIT NO: CV/125/19) removed Mr. Mbadiwe from his position, and a formal letter from the Governing Council followed in June 2021. Yet, she said, he continued to unlawfully present himself as Registrar, allegedly conducting parallel operations under CIPMN’s name.
Dr. Okoronkwo named three other individuals Jamilu Isa Yankwashi, Hajara Yusuf, and Chief Emmanuel Olabode Afolayan as co-conspirators in what she described as “a brazen attempt to hijack the Institute.” Particularly alarming was Mr. Yankwashi’s self-declaration as President of CIPMN in June 2023, despite his tenure having ended days earlier.
The situation escalated when the group allegedly tried to hijack the Institute’s website and domain, even intimidating the web hosting company while issuing fake legal documents. “It was a desperate move to delegitimize our operations,” she said.
But the most shocking revelations came with the allegations of financial misconduct.
Dr. Okoronkwo presented evidence of fraudulent financial requests, including one for N1.8 billion and another for N150 million, made by a self-proclaimed “Sole Administrator” of the Institute. She also highlighted an incomplete project worth over N11 million, for which payment had been made but delivery never fulfilled.
Despite a standing court injunction (NO: FHC/ABJ/CS/253/2022) barring the group from parading themselves as CIPMN officials, they have allegedly continued their activities unchecked.
A recent publication in The Punch listing fake members prompted an official rebuttal by the Institute in The Guardian.
“CIPMN is not a political platform. It is a professional body founded on integrity, excellence, and accountability,” Dr. Okoronkwo declared, adding that their Establishment Act (No. 3 of 2018) remains the Institute’s legal foundation.
She vowed to restore the Institute’s integrity, working with law enforcement, the judiciary, and regulatory bodies. Efforts are currently underway to reconnect with legitimate members and relaunch credible certification and development programs.
Dr. Okoronkwo ended with a stern warning: “To the impostors your time is up. The law will take its course, and history will remember your betrayal.”
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