Don’t Sweep Probe Report Under Carpet, AOCOED Unions Tells Council

Peace Obi

The Governing Council of the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education, Otto/Ijanikin has been urged not to succumb to both the internal and external pressure being mounted on it from different quarters in deciding the case of the mismanagement of 1.5 billion naira leveled against some former principal officers of the institution.

Speaking during a press conference by the Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education in Nigeria (SSUCOEN), the Chairman, Comrade Wunmi Ombugadu who commended the efforts of the governing council in repositioning the institution urged the AOCOED council to avoid double standards as it sits on Thursday to make pronouncement on the Professor Osanyin-led disciplinary committee report.

The chairman who noted that it has come to the knowledge of the Union that the indicted persons were trying to use highly placed people in the state and within the institution to bury the report of the disciplinary committee warned that the whole world is washing and waiting for their decision on the matter.

Stating that the Union would resist every attempt by the nine indicted personnel from being shielded from facing the wrath of the law, warned that it would bring in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and Independent Crime Practices Commission (ICPC) into the matter.

Stating the untold hardship the non-remittance of the various deductions from staff salaries such as tax, pension, housing among others have continued to cause the institution, academic and non-academic staff as well, Ombugadu hinted that not less than seven members of the SSUCOEN have lost their lives in the process.

Thanking the state government for increasing the institution’s subvention, the chairman also appealed to the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode to consider giving AOCOED a bailout for the school to meet some of its financial obligations which have become increased as a result of the mismanagement of funds by the former principal officers of the school.

Speaking also, the Chairman, Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, (COEASU), Mr. Avosetinyen Micheal, who restated the Union’s confidence on the institution’s governing council to do justice to the case of the financial misappropriation against the college’s former principal officers, said that the conditions of service is there to serve as a guide for the counsel. Stressing that the conditions of service has been used in the past to sanction erring staff, Michael said, “We are watching and we believe that the governing council will do the needful by using the conditions of service. We have precedents, the conditions of service has been used in the past to punish erring staff.”

Micheal who stated the union’s support on the efforts to sanitise the operations of the college, hinted that COEASU had earlier raised the issue of misappropriation before the college decided to act on it. According to him the non-remittance of deductions like cooperative, pension funds among others affected the union members’ welfare. The chairman disclosed that about seven members of the Union died without receiving their pension benefit.

Speaking on the issue of staff audit, the COEASU chairman faulted the college stance on the non-acceptability of sworn affidavit for age declaration as part of the documents staff are required to present during the audit. According to him, Affidavit remain a legal document in Nigeria and as such it should accepted by the college in its staff audit processes.

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