OAU Lecturers Accuse Management Of Administering N3.5 Billion Without Due Process

OAU lecturers accuse
school management of
administering N3.5
billion without due
process
April 20, 2016 Olanrewaju Oyedeji
The Budget Monitoring
Committee of the Academic
Staff Union of Universities,
Obafemi Awolowo University,
has accused the management
of the institution of
expending N3. 5billion meant
for hostel renovation and
construction of new lecture
theaters in breach of due
process and transparency.
The funds were part of the
N100billion released by the
Federal Government in 2013
for all universities in
response to the long drawn
agitations of ASUU against
the government.
The implementation
monitoring committee had
spelt out guidelines for
accessing the intervention
fund for Nigerian Public
Universities, but the school
failed to abide by the
guidelines.
According the report of the
committee addressed to ASUU
members, and which was
obtained by PREMIUM TIMES,
the management failed to
follow due process in contract
awarding as well as failing to
utilize needs assessment
phase 1 funds made available
to the institution in August
2013 as required by the
guidelines.
The report which was signed
by the committee’s chairman,
A.O, Aderibigbe, on 4th of
January 2016, also noted that
the approval for the release
of the funds was done in
writing by the Permanent
Secretary of the Federal
Ministry of Education
addressed to the Vice
Chancellor of OAU on 23rd of
August 2013.
The report indicated that the
letter from the Ministry of
Education conveyed the
approval of NI3.5billion
needs Assessment phase 1,
funds to OAU under the Special
university revitalization programme
based on the needs Assessment report.
The monitoring committee reported that
the following projects, namely
Rehabilitation/Renovation of hostels for
N200million; Rehabilitation/Renovation
of lecture theaters and lecture rooms for
N250million; Construction of new
facilities-Hostels, N 2billion;
Construction of new facility -Lecture
Theaters and lecture rooms, N300million
and Construction of new facility –
Laboratories and Library, N300million,
all totaling N3.5billion, were to be
carried out as approved.
The committee noted that the second
tranche of the funds totaling
N2.833billion was transferred from the
Central Bank of Nigeria to two
commercial bank accounts operated by
the institution.
Foramfera
“On 30/09/2014 I was reliably informed
that the sum of N2,833,703,703.61 was transferred from the CBN into the OAU account with the bank and in this regard the university administration directed an officer to issue receipts as follows

(a) First Bank, account no:
2023659287
Account name:OAU Special
revitalization programmer Account ,
Amount N1,308,703,703.61billion and
Zenith Bank, Account
number:1013549122 Account name: OAU Presidential Implementation of Needs Assessment Account, Amount
:N1,525,000,000billion and the officer
complied, the truth will surely prevail
sooner than later,” Mr. Aderibigbe stated in the report.

“The letter informing the university of
the transfer of N3.5billion directed that there should be strict compliance with the procurement act 2007 in the
implementing of the projects.”

The ASUU monitoring committee stated that while the approval letter quoted an allocation of the sum of 3.5billion, the university claimed it received only N2.833billon.

The committee wondered how an
allocation of N3.5billion naira meant to
execute projects worth the same sum,
would turn out to become N2.833billion.

The committee further alleged that the university had unilaterally identified, prioritized and awarded contracts for some of the projects with total exclusion and sidelining of university budget monitoring committee,
ASUU BMC said that in compliance with the IMC Guidelines the projects should be awarded with the knowledge of ASUU’s monitoring committee, adding that the management was in violation of stipulated guidelines and due process .

The Public Relations Officer of the
institution, Abiodun Olanrewaju, told
PREMIUM TIMES that ASUU’s allegation
was false, as all funds received by the
institution from the Federal
Government had been judiciously used.

He said the management of OAU had
also been transparent in the handling of the funds and the execution of projects in line due process of procurement.

“To the best of my knowledge we always advertise all the infrastructural projects

in two national newspapers and the
tenders journal in Abuja,” Mr.
Olanrewaju said.

“Fortunately, my office is in charge of
placing the adverts for interested
persons to be aware.

“If there is agreement between the
management and ASUU regarding the
administration of the funds, I am not
aware.”