— Allegation, counter allegation of diversion of funds rock commission

By Dayo Johnson Akure

The Amalgamated Union of Public Corporation, Civil Service Technical and Recreational Services Employees (AUPCTRE), at the Ondo State Oil Producing Areas Development Commission (OSOPADEC), has pleaded with the state governor, Dr Lucky Aiyedatiwa to urgently wade into the allegation and counter allegation of diversion of funds meant for projects and delay in salary.

Allegation and counter allegation of alleged diversion of over N463 million project funds into private accounts as well as sudden change of signatories to the Commission’s bank accounts, which led to the sudden disbursement of N90 million to unknown beneficiaries, bypassing the Commission’s accounting officer have rocked the commission in the last few weeks.

The union said that the ongoing internal crisis within the Commission was ” capable of leading to operational paralysis if not addressed promptly, moreso the situation has led to the continued delay of workers’ January salary.

Chairman of AUPCTRE, OSOPADEC branch, Comrade Sola Ademuwagun, expressed concern over the festering of the crisis.

Ademuwagun said that “personal interests have superseded the Commission’s statutory mandate of focusing on developmental projects in the state’s oil-producing mandate areas.

While alleging that political leadership of the Commission had been attempting to subvert established procedure, he said that at the top of the bureaucracy is the Administrative Secretary, describing the conflict as an assault on due process.

According to him “Our sincere appeal is that the governor should urgently intervene in the system of OSOPADEC.

” Not to probe the place but the roles of the four principal officers, the chairman, the two executive directors and the administrative secretary should be outlined for them, and at the same time, give them a tenable organogram whereby routing of files and system of the office smoothly in the interest of the workers and the mandate areas.

“There have even been threats against us, the union leaders, over unfounded allegations that we were trying to protest for the removal of Mr Chairman.

” Yhere was no meeting to that effect. Our names were even captured on the social media, a vendetta, witch-hunting restructuring was singlehandedly done without the knowledge of Administrative Secretary, with staff being threatened to comply or be dealt with”.

“On all the allegations that are going on, I want to say that due processes are not being followed when it comes to the routing of files.

“The other time, the chairman said that files should pass through an unbureaucratic procedure. At the top of the bureaucracy is the Administrative Secretary, so they want us to bypass the process.

One of the officers that was alleged, the Director, Project Planning and Development, Engr. Olubunmi Filani, explained that the allegations against him and others were not true.

Filani explained that funds found in his personal account were for direct labour projects, which he described as the operational procedure of the Commission since the era of former Governor Olusegun Agagu.

He said that all expenditures were for visible projects, including the renovation of schools.

Filani denied any diversion of funds meant for projects in the oil rich communities.

According to him “The money they said I returned were supposed to be used for the execution of school renovation projects, but we were having issues at those locations, and we couldn’t start any work.

” I decided to return the money, and I printed the receipt, attached it to the teller, and put it inside the file, and I indicated the reason why I returned the money pending when work will commence. This is the due process within public service.

“We have 21 schools to be renovated, including the area office of the Commission in Igbokoda. These are structures that you can see.

“The money has been spent there. We have been able to do 10 schools to 100 percent, two of them to 80 percent. We had issues with 2 that are on 20 percent and others are awaiting execution.

The Commission obtained Mr Governor’s approval to renovate 21 schools, the total amount is N498 million, and area office amounting to N49 million which has been completed.

Filani said that ” We have used just N323 million out of the approved fund for 21 schools, and the balance is still in the capital account of the Commission.