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The Ibadan Zonal Office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)on Wednesdaybegan interrogation of top officials of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Osogbo, over an alleged N.5 billon fraud in the construction of the University Library, particularly, in Osogbo main campus of the institution and other projects.
Investigation revealed that the officials were invited for questioning over a petition dated Thursday 15th September, 2016 forwarded to the Commission by a civil group, theCivil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS).
The petition, which was signed by CSCEOS Chairman, Comrade Adeniyi Alimi Sulaiman, called for credible and through investigation of the university officials in the alleged contract scam.
The university officials invited for interrogation were; former Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Jelili Alamu, Acting Registrar, Mr. Bayo Shittu, Acting Bursar, Mr. Samson Adebolu Adegbite and university Director of Works, Mr. Samson Ade Adepoju, while former University.The Registrar and Secretary to the University Governing Council, Dr. J.O. Faniran and former Bursar, Alhaji Fatai Lasisi were invited for clarifications.
CSCEOS had alleged in the petition that the said contract projects were inflated by 300 per cent by the officials and it wanted the anti-graft body to ensure a refund of excess money in the contract sum that have been earlier diverted into private pockets of few individuals, including.
The petition reads in part: “As a stakeholder in the progress and development of the Nigeria Project, especially, in the area of waging serious war against the menace of corruption, which has been the canker worm that has eaten deep into the fabric of our society which impeded the progress of our development.
“After our thorough private investigation into the subject matter and securing of the necessary documents from the appropriate quarters, we are compelled to write this petition to the authority of your anti-graft agency in line with Sections 15 sub-section (5) and 24 sub-section (1e) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (FRN) as amended and Freedom of Information Act 2011 and National Human Rights Commission Act 2010 (amendment) where Freedom of Speech and expression are highlighted.
“We wish to inform your good office of our discovery of another mindboggling corrupt practice by the Osun State government in which they fraudulently inflated the contract sum of the Construction of Osogbo and Okuku Campuses’ Library and other related projects in Osun StateUniversity (UNIOSUN) which sum of N.5 billion public funds were diverted and siphoned by the State governor, Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, his Deputy, Mrs. Grace Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Alhaji Moshood Olalekan Adeoti, Osun State.
Tenders Board Secretaries, Messrs Kunle Akionla and Olawumi, O.T., the then Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Abdul-Jelili Alamu, Acting Registrar, Mr. Bayo Shittu, Acting Bursar, Mr. Samson Adebolu Adegbite and University Director of Works, Mr. Samson Ade Adepoju.
“Others that are supposed to be invited for interrogation and clarification on this financial impropriety of public funds meant for University developmental project are; Former Acting Vice-Chancellors, Professor Bashir Okesina and Professor Ganiyu O. Olatunde respectively, former University Registrar and Secretary to the University Governing Council, Dr. J.O. Faniran, former Bursar, Alhaji Fatai Lasisi, former University Acting Director of Works, BuilderOdetoyinbo Abiodun, Tender Board Secretaries, Olawuni O.T. and Kunle Akiola respectively and Permanent Secretary, office of the SSG, Mr. Demola Akinyemi.
“Also, the Chief Executive Officer of De-Kingly Nigeria Limited, Mr. Ademola Olapade and Executive Chairman, Beton Bau Nigeria Limited, Architect Dunni Opayemi should be invited by your anti-graft agency because they are the main actors in the execution of the project in question.”
The letter further reads: “Our investigation revealed that Messers De Kingly Nig. Ltd, Messers Folly B Production and Messrs Benton Bau Nig. Ltd bid for the construction of the Osogbo Main Campus construction of Library building which was valued by the Works and Physical Planning (WPP) department of the University at Three Hundred and Forty Four Million, Nine Hundred and seventy Eight Thousand, Seven Hundred and Forty-Six Naira, Sixty kobo (N344,978,746.60).
“To our dismay, the Beton Bau Nigeria Limited which won the bid for the Construction of the UNIOSUN Main Library Building now re-contracted the same building construction to De-Kingly Nig. Limited, then Co-bidder at the rate of One Hundred and Eighty Million, Seventy-Three Thousand, six Hundred and Forty-Four Naira, sixty-six kobo only (N180,073,644.66) on 18th of November, 2013, where we discovered the sum of Three Hundred and Sixty-One Million Naira (N361 million) were padded to the construction of the Library Building by the State Government under Aregbesola’s watch.”
Meanwhile, the CSCEOSdeclared that the group would not fold its arms and open its eyes by allowing some people to be siphoning the meagre resources of Osun people under the guise of putting infrastructure in place in the state and subject the people of the state to be dying of hunger, misery and abject poverty.
