Ademola Babalola in Ibadan
Scores of youths and students from Ekiti State, under the umbrella of Nigeria Youths Coalition (NYC) wednesday stormed the regional head office of the Economics and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Ibadan to protest alleged financial misappropriation at the Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), Ekiti State.
The youths led by Shina Awopeju (Coordinator) and Tetteh Ebenezer (Secretary) handed over copies of alleged financial misappropriation to the officers at the commission, with a vow to ensuring accountability and transparency in the running of the institution created about four years ago.
Specifically, they urged the EFCC to look into the financial books of the institution and investigate approvals on some ‘perceived dubious financial activities’ carried out under the watch of the institution’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Kayode Soremilekun.
The youths with their placards addressed reporters and catalogued five different allegations against the vice chancellor of the institution.
The allegation according to the petition include; illegal purchase of Prado jeep at inflated price of N25 million each; purchase of two Nigeria-used Toyota Camry (2006 model) at the sum of N5.25million and four Toyota Camry at N10.5million.
The allegation also include payment of N40.1million into a bank account (bank’s name withheld) belonging to Kodelac Nigeria Limited in Ile-Ife, Osun State without following procurement guidelines.
The youths also alleged that N19.1million was paid twice for a-two-block laboratory at Ikole campus of the institution.
According to the group, N1.98 million was paid into unknown account operated by the university with a commercial bank for unknown contract.
The petition also revealed that a Tokunbo CRV car was purchased at N23.9million for the Governing Council Chairman of the institution which the chairman rejected.
The coordinator of the group, dismissed a reporter’s probe that they were being used by some group of people to wrest power from the vice chancellor of the institution, saying the move was their support for the anti-corruption crusade of the federal government.
Reacting via a telephone interview, Professor Soremilekun dismissed the allegations, saying they were lies.
“It is all lies. We are under investigation by the EFCC and ICPC already. If they have good intention, why going that far? It was the handiwork of one of the principal officers of the institution who was suspended. The petition has been flying around for sometimes now,†he noted.
