THERE was a mild drama on Tuesday afternoon when the acting Vice Chancellor of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Professor Anthony Elujoba and the Bursar, Mrs Ronke Akeredolu honoured an invitation from the Economic and Financial and Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan division on Tuesday afternoon,
just as members of the representatives of five unions stormed the Iyaganku office of the anti-corruption agency to protest his invitation.
Professor Elujoba arrived at the office around 3:44p.m in a black Toyota Camry car with registration number OAU 5OL 02FG, in brown suit with a blue and purple stripped shirt and a purple tie, holding a green file in his hands as he was led into the premises of the anti-graft agency, in company of his lawyer, Folake Abiodun.
Before his arrival at the EFCC Ibadan Division, members of five unions namely: SSANU, NAAT,NASU etc, of the institution had arrived in four buses, in solidarity with the vice chancellor and the students in a blue bus with registration number Bayelsa XB 195 R5.
On arrival, the members surged towards the entrance of the agency’s main gate and displayed placards to protest the invitation of Professor Elujoba by the anti-graft agency.
Some of the messages inscribed on the placards include:”Great Ife workers and students say no to blackmail, intimidation”, “We say no to Omole incited probe” “OAU Ife want National Assembly to look into the restiveness on OAU campus”, “Omole’s five years’ need probing”, “Great Ife says enough is enough”, among others.
It took the intervention of security officers attached to the anti-government agency to calm the protesting union members down as they insisted on showing their support to the vice chancellor that paid their hazard allowance.
The Head of Public Affairs of the agency, Ayo Oyewole, had earlier confirmed to Nigerian Tribune that the invitation of the acting vice chancellor was to explain the disbursement of N1 billion paid to the workers less than three months that he assumed office.
Oyewole, informed that the agency had received a petition from the university community regarding the matter, and had invited the vice chancellor to explain to him with some documents.
According to a post on the anti-corruption commission’s official Facebook page, Officialefcc, Elujoba allegedly diverted the sum from the university’s Fixed Assets and Endowment Fund without approval from the Federal Ministry and Governing Council of the university to pay some unapproved allowances from which he paid himself N7m (Seven Million Naira),” the post stated.
The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Biodun Olanrewaju, however absolved the vice chancellor of any corrupt practices, noting that the unions only showed up to express their support for the vice chancellor.
Olanrewaju further revealed that the workers hinted the vice chancellor that there was money available in an account aside from the TSA account.
and then