It is imperative to give an informative response to the accolade attributed to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) by the Vice Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Prof. Eyitope Ogunbodede. A delegation of the EFCC led by Friday Ebelo from the Ibadan Zonal Office of the commission had visited OAU community and had a meeting with the university Vice Chancellor on the September 18, 2019. The delegates and the VC unequivocally shared the meeting’s outcome with the public. The meeting was instrumental at harmonizing both institutions (EFCC and OAU) to effectively combat misappropriation, corruption and cyber related crimes in the university administration.
Taking a trip down memory lane, the staff unions and students of OAU organized marathon protests and demanded the probe of Professor Bamitale Omole led – administration while leaving office. The tenure of Prof. Omole, the 10th substantive OAU Vice Chancellor was allegedly rocked with administrative scandal and financial misappropriation. The unions stern resistance against Omole also stalled the book launch organised in his honour. The protest got intense and the Nigerian federal government eventually intervened. Subsequently, a caretaker committee was constituted to utterly sanitize the institution.
The EFCC has turned a deaf ear to the staff and students union petitions demanding for the holistic probe of Prof. Bamitale Omole led – administration. The incumbent VC as well has shown nonchalant disposition on the clarion calls. Recently, the students union action committee of OAU forwarded petitions to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent and Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) and Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to probe the institution’s financial mismanagement and tax evasion. The alleged embezzlement of N17.5 million funds meant for students’ identity cards for the 2016/2017 academic session, tax debt of N1.8 billion and other fraudulent misconducts attached with some documents were unattended to till date.
The EFCC fight against corruption and cyber crimes in Nigerian tertiary institutions would be more strategic, effective and productive if the anti – graft agencies could synergise with the staff unions and students’ leaders across higher institutions. These unions are the administrators’ watchdogs. It is highly impracticable and unrealistic for administrators in tertiary institutions to expose their corrupt practices or mismanagement gripping the system. Moreover, the internet fraudsters on campuses are susceptible to prompt exposition through the students’ body.
Binzak Azeez,
Faculty of Law,
Obafemi Awolowo University,
Ile Ife
