ASUU petitions EFCC, alleges N2 billion fraud in UNILORIN

Allegations false, fit for trash can, says varsity management
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ibadan Zonal office accusing a former vice chancellor of the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and his successor (names withheld) of N2 billion fraud.

The petition, which was submitted by the Ibadan Zone Chairman of ASUU, Dr. Ade Adejumo, Chairman, University of Ibadan (UI), Dr. Deji Omole, his Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) counterpart, Dr. Biodun Olaniran, Kwara State University (KWASU), Dr. Dauda Adeshina and UNILORIN counterpart, Dr. Kayode Afolayan, accused the management of pension fraud, fraudulent and unremitted deductions, extortion from students, contract inflation and kick-backs, as well as unlawful payments to ex-principal officers of the University, even after they had left the said offices and working elsewhere.

In reaction to the allegations, Head, Corporate Affairs of the university, Kunle Akogun said there was nothing new in the so-called allegations, especially the one on pension fund.

According to Akogun, “These same fellows made the same allegations in July this year while shamefacedly kicking against the nationally acknowledged well-merited appointment of our former vice chancellor by President Muhammadu Buhari. And of course, no one listened to them, as even the president, who is well-known for his zero tolerance for corruption, is not unaware of the due diligence credentials of successive administrations of the University of Ilorin.”

The university spokesman said the management welcomes the petition and very certain that the anti-graft agency would duly consign it to where it rightly belonged: the trashcan!

“Our only grouse against the petition is the claim by the petitioner, Dr. Kayode Afolayan, that he is the Chairman of Unilorin ASUU. He is not”, Akogun said.

In the petition, the union alleged that the former VC doubled the amount of pension being deducted from staff under the false pretext that the previous deductions were lower than prescribed by law.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the legal minimum prescribed by Pension Act at the time was 7.5 of emoluments and the staff were already paying even above this minimum. By way of comparison, in federal universities such as University of Lagos (UNILAG) and Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife the sum of N20, 124.62 is deducted from each professor as pension contribution per month.

“However, at UNILORIN the sum of N40, 206.42 is deducted monthly for the same “pension contribution.” Contrary to law, the extra deductions did not derive from any agreement with the workers; indeed, the forced deductions were protested to no avail. For the avoidance of doubt, the pension law does not empower an employer to forcefully deduct above the minimum from any employee.”