The year 2016 finally comes to an end today. It has been an eventful year full of different shades of the good the bad and the ugly. Let’s quickly take a look at the biggest academic corruption scandal in the year 2016 which includes the arrest and probe of top management of tertiary institutions by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
N800 million Fraud: EFCC arraign FUNAAB VC, two others
The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Vice Chancellor, Professor Olusola Oyewole, as well as the school’s Pro-Chancellor, Adeseye Ogunlewe, were arraigned, this year, in court, on an 18-count charge of financial misappropriation.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned the two officials, alongside the bursar of FUNAAB, Moses Ilesanmi.
The three suspects, who were driven to the court by EFCC operatives in a Nissan Urvan bus, entered the dock at High Court 6 in Abeokuta, Ogun State, for alleged misappropriation of N800 million.
The embattled VC was later reported in the year to have refunded N6.5 million to the anti-graft agency, EFCC, out of the funds mismanaged.
UNICAL suspends bursar over alleged fraud
The University of Calabar suspended the bursar, Mr Peter Agi, over allegations of fraud, forgery and threat to life.
Following the development, an inquiry was immediately set up by the management of the institution to look into issues.
In a letter of suspension signed by the Registrar, Mr Moses Abang, the management of the institution alleged that the bursar had been found guilty of impersonating the vice-chancellor on the e-payment platform of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), among others.
But, in a swift reaction, Agi said he was not aware of his suspension, adding that he was on sick leave with the knowledge of the management of the institution.
However, the letter of suspension read in part, “In an emergency meeting held today, August 22, 2016, the management considered recent developments on campus, especially your arrest by the Nigeria Police vide letter no. AB:3621/CRS/DFA/VOL.T/123 of August 17, 2016, on allegations of fraud, forgery and threat to life. It has become imperative that you step aside as Bursar and clear yourself of these allegations.
The letter therefore directed Agi to hand over immediately to Mrs Atim Mensah, who is the most senior deputy bursar, while Mr Joseph Odum should take over the previous duties covered by Mensah.
3. N3.5bn scam: ASUU drags JAMB Registrar to EFCC
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on December 29 petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Ibadan Zonal office, over N2 billion fraud allegation against the administrations of Professor Isiaq Oloyede (now JAMB registrar) and current Vice Chancellor of University of Ilorin, Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali.
The union called on the anti-graft agency to do a diligent and rigorous investigation of the allegations, assuring that painstaking investigation would uncover a can of worms.
The petition was submitted by the Ibadan Zone Chairman of ASUU, Dr Ade Adejumo and the Chairman University of Ibadan chapter, Dr Deji Omole, Dr Biodun Olaniran (LAUTECH), Dr Dauda Adeshina (KWASU) and that of University of Ilorin, Dr Kayode Afolayan.
They alleged pension fraud, fraudulent and unremitted deductions, extortion from students, contract inflation and kick-backs as well as unlawful payments to ex-principal officers of the University, even after they had left the said offices and had been working elsewhere.
A copy of the petition which was stamped by the EFCC as received and dated 29th December, 2016, alleged that the former Vice Chancellor in 2011, doubled the amount of pension being deducted from staff under the false pretext that the previous deductions were lower than prescribed in law.
4 VC Of FUTA And Bursar Arrested And Quizzed By The EFCC
Vice Chancellor Federal University of Technology, Akure, (FUTA), Ondo State Professor Adebiyi Daramola, and the Bursar, Emmanuel Ademola Oresegun, were arrested and quizzed at the Iyaganku office of the EFCC in Ibadan in respect of an alleged case of Abuse of Office and misappropriation of funds reported against them.
According to the petition submitted to the Commision, it was alleged that the Vice Chancellor and the Bursar were involved in “Corruption, Fraud, Criminal Breach of Trust, Unlawful Enrichment and Conversion of millions of Naira of the University”.
The Vice Chancellor allegedly drew Furniture Allowance annually instead of once in four years as approved and was paying himself Housing Allowance while residing in the University’s Vice Chancellor’s Quarters. The petition further alleged that he diverted funds from various unrelated subheads to finance other projects without the appropriate approvals for such.
N1bn allowance: EFCC summons OAU VC, bursar
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) summoned the acting Vice-Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Profssor Anthony Elujoba, and Bursar, Mrs Aderonke Akeredolu, over the payment of an ‘unapproved’ hazard allowances to the institution’s workers.
The allowances paid to the academic and non-academic staff were said to be over N1billion.
The allowances were reportedly sourced from the university’s endowment funds account, which is usually dedicated for projects.
But the spokesperson for the university, Mr. Biodun Olarewaju, argued that the specific fund used in paying the allowances was not attached to any project in the account.
It was also gathered that certain allowances earmarked for the office of the VC were also being investigated by the federal agency.
A male hostel in OAU.
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