ASUU petitions EFCC on alleged N3bn fraud

Nigeria’s Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ilorin, Prof. Abdulganiyu Ambali, and the former VC, Prof Isiaq Oloyede, of an alleged N3bn fraud.

The body submitted a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) accusing both of them of non-remittance of taxes and deductions in salaries, extortion and other financial crimes.

The petition was submitted by the Ibadan Zonal Chairman of ASUU, Dr. Ade Adejumo; Chairman, University of Ibadan chapter of the union, Dr. Deji Omole; his counterpart at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Dr. Biodun Olaniran; Chairman of ASUU, Kwara State University, Dr. Dauda Adeshina; and ASUU chairman, Unilorin, Dr Kayode Afolayan.

According to ASUU, both of them also got kickbacks from contracts they approved.

The union also alleged that Unilorin authorities doubled the amount of pension contributions being deducted from staff salaries.

The petition stated, “Contrary to law, the extra deductions were not derived from any agreement with the workers; indeed, the forced deductions were protested to no avail. However, the administration pushed out the argument, through their cronies, that whatever amount was deducted for pensions will be automatically doubled and that the deductions were therefore ‘for our benefit’.

“On enquiry, pension fund administrators said they were not aware of any special extra payments into the pension account of the staff during the periods. The quantum involved in this fraud is in the neighbourhood of N1.5bn. In other words, these vice-chancellors have defrauded the staff of varied amounts over the period.”