Nigerian-born professor wastes $242,390 research funds on strip clubs

A professor of Nigerian origin, Chikaodinaka Nwankpa has been discovered to have spent $242,390 research funds in strip clubs and iTunes purchases.

This has cost him his job.

Nwankpa, who was head of the electrical and computer engineering department at Drexel University in the United States made the purchases between 2007 and 2017.

Following the discovery of the illicit spending by the authorities, he had resigned in lieu of his appointment being terminated.

According to a statement released by the eastern district of Pennsylvania attorney’s office, Nwankpa repaid $53,328.

The professor was also said to have paid for goods and services offered by Cheerleaders, Club Risque, and Tacony Club.

He has also been barred from federal government contracting for a period of six months.

A US lawyer, William McSwain announced that the university has agreed to pay the United States $189,062 to resolve potential liability under the False Claims act.

“This is an example of flagrant and audacious fraud and a shameful misuse of public funds,” McSwain said.

“The agencies providing these grant funds expect them to be used towards advancements in energy and naval technology for public benefit, not for personal entertainment.

“We appreciate Drexel’s self-disclosure and cooperation in this matter. At the same time, we are disappointed that Dr Nwankpa’s conduct went unnoticed for so long, but Drexel’s strengthening of its charge approval process is certainly a step in the right direction.”

EduCeleb.com gathered that Nwankpa spent 27 years teaching at Drexel. He chaired the electrical and computer engineering department from 2015 until he left.

During that time, he was among the university’s top attractors of research grant funds, boasting in his faculty bio that he had landed more than $10 million in research money throughout his career.

An investigation into Nwankpa’s activities began in 2017 after the university voluntarily disclosed improper charges to eight federal grants for energy and naval technology-related research that it received from the Navy, the department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation.