Academic and non-academic members of
staff and students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on
Tuesday protested in solidarity with the institution’s acting
Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Anthony Elujoba.
The Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission had on Monday summoned Elujoba and the Bursar, Mrs. Aderonke
Akeredolu, over an alleged payment of hazard allowance to workers.
It was learnt that the allowances paid
to both academic and non-academic members of staff from the university’s
endowment fund were over N1bn.
The protests took place simultaneously on the university campus and the gate of the Ibadan zonal office of the commission.
On the OAU campus, the workers shunned official duties to assemble at the popular freedom park in sympathy with the acting VC.
At the EFCC office in Ibadan, workers
and students chanted solidarity songs and displayed placards with
various inscriptions including ‘We say no to Omole incited probe,’ ‘OAU
students say no to conspiracy,’ ‘It is not a sin to pay workers’
allowance’; ‘Elujoba is a saviour,’ ‘Don’t return us to the old days’
and ‘Omole five-year administration needs probing.’
The unions present at the protest in
Ibadan were the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Senior Staff
Union of Universities, Non-academic Staff Union of Universities,
National Association of Academic Technologists and the Students’ Union.
Leaders of the unions who spoke to one
of our correspondents threw their weight behind the payment of the
allowances. They also demanded that the administration of a former OAU
VC, Prof. Bamitale Omole, should be probed.
They threatened to pass the night at the gate of the EFCC office until the acting VC was released.
The acting VC was still being quizzed by the EFCC officials as of the time (8.41pm) of filing this report.
Addressing students who came to
solidarise with him, Elujoba said, “What a pain! You all are supposed to
be in the classroom receiving lectures but this has brought you here.
“We are all in this together and by
God’s grace we will survive together. I have dedicated myself to the
delivery of the OAU. I will not rest until I see you (students) all
succeed.”
The head of Public Affairs of EFCC
Ibadan Zonal Office, Mr. Ayo Oyewole, said the acting OAU VC was being
quizzed over allegation of illegal diversion of funds.
He said, “The acting VC and bursar of
the OAU were invited by the EFCC and are currently being quizzed at our
office here in respect of an alleged case of illegal and alleged
diversion of N1.4bn.
According to the petition, it was alleged that the
acting VC diverted the sum to settle some unapproved allowances from
which he paid himself and also paid the (members of) staff various
allowances.”
When asked if the allegedly diverted
money was assigned to any project, he said, “The money was paid without
the approval of the Federal Ministry of Education and the university’s
Governing Council.”
On his part, the Public Relations
Officer of the OAU, Biodun Olanrewaju, claimed that the money used to
pay the workers’ allowances was hidden in a ‘secret account’ by the past
administration.
He said, “All the unions are here to
solidarise with the acting VC because it was shocking to hear that the
OAU VC was invited by the EFCC to come and clarify why he paid workers
when no money has actually been declared missing. It is strange in the
history of Nigerian university system to see all the unions supporting
the same cause.
The ASUU-OAU caretaker Chairman, Dr.
Niyi Sunmonu, said there was no governing council in place in the
university to approve such money.
“The governing council has been
dissolved by the visitor, President Muhammadu Buhari, in June and since
then no other one has been put in place,” he added.
PUNCH
No comments:
Post a Comment