By Ola Ajayi

Ibadan – Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, students, National Association of Academic Technologists, Non-Academic Staff Union and students of the Obafemi Awolowo University on Tuesday refused to leave the premises of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission during the interrogation of the Acting Vice- Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Anthony Elujoba and the Bursar of the institution, Mrs. Aderonke Akeredolu for allegedly diverting N1. 4 billion to pay outstanding allowances of workers and the lecturers.

VC, Bursar of Obafemi Awolowo University in EFCC net

The four unions said in as much as they would not support corruption in whatever form, the case involving the Vice Chancellor who assumed office barely five months ago was clearly unacceptable.

According to the unions, who spoke through their leaders, it is not right for the commission to be punishing or victimising the VC for using the money to pay outstanding allowances which they had been calling on the government to pay.

The commission was not comfortable with the large presence of the workers and students who continued asking the commission regarding the action it took on the avalanche of petitions written against the immediate past Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Bamitale Omole.

All the armed security men in the commission trooped out instructing the protesters to move far away. The Head, Public Affairs of the commission, Mr. Oye Oyewole kept asking them why their “was a large crowd when the VC and the bursar were just invited to explain some things.

As the VC and his lawyers arrived the premises of the commission, all the workers, students and academic staff began singing, while some women were praying for him believing it was a clear case of victimisation and that God would free him from them.

The union leaders Dr. Niyi Sunmonu(ASUU), Mr. Ademola Oketunde(SSANU), Mr. Fadele Olusola Sunday, representative of the students’ Union, Mr. Olusoji Adeyosoye, NAAT and Mr. Wole Odewumi,( NASU) said what particularly infruriated them was the insistence by the FG that the VC did not get approval before paying the outstanding allowances.

When asked why they accompanied the VC all the way from Ile-Ife, Dr. Sunmonu said, “we heard that the VC was invited by the EFCC. From the inception of his administration till now, he has done a lot for the progress of the institution. All the students, both academic and non-academic staff have felt his leadership prowess.”

On why he did not get the approval of the governing council before spending the money, he said, “Since June 2016, when the visitor to the institution, President Muhammadu Buhari dissolved the governing council, it is not in the purview of the VC to constitute a new governing council. The staff of the institution who had been owed some money were paid. Everybody benefited from it. He has done things in the interest of the institution”.

EFCC speaks

Speaking with newsmen on the invitation of the VC, the commission’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Oye Oyewole said the “V. C and the Bursar, Mrs. Aderonke Akeredolu were invited by the EFCC and are being quizzed in our office at Iyaganku over alleged case of illegal and corrupt diversion of N1.4b.

“According to the petition, it was alleged that Prof. Elujoba diverted the sum of money to settle some unapproved allowances from which he allegedly paid himself N7m furniture allowance and used the rest to pay other staff varied allowances.

“He allegedly spent the money without the approval of the Federal Ministry of education and the institution’s governing council. They came just some minutes past four and the time for their release will be determined by the time spent on their interrogation. They could still be here by 11pm.”

OAU management speaks

“The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Abiodun Olanrewaju said the EFCC called the VC last week to explain why he paid workers some of their outstanding allowances. The former VC did not keep the money in the TSA, he kept it somewhere. What would have happened if the new VC did not use the money to pay the workers, what would have happened if the new VC had not discovered the money. Workers told us that the former VC kept the money somewhere and we sat down to discuss. The VC then said the money should be used to pay the workers’ entitlements.

“To prove that the VC is innocent, this is the first time all the four unions on the campus would support the VC. If he did engage in corrupt practices, do you think these calibre of people would be backing him? When the former VC failed to pay the money in question into TSA, it was a clever diversion and the government did not know. This man used the money to pay workers their entitlements.”