FUNAAB defends EFCC invitation of VC, Bursar

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has confirmed that invitation was extended to some principal officers of the University by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In a press statement signed by the University’s spokesperson, Mrs Emilomo Alawode, as public officers as well as responsible and law abiding citizens, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor
Olusola Oyewole and the Bursar, Mr. Moses Ilesanmi, were only invited by the anti-graft agency to make clarifications on issues bordering on the administration of the University and the duo have since honored the invitation.

It would be recalled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) last Wednesday quizzed the Vice-Chancellor alongside the Bursar following a petition received by the anti graft body from a group known as ‘Concerned Stakeholders of FUNAAB’.
A statement posted on its official Facebook page, the EFCC confirmed that the VC of FUNAAB and its Bursar were invited for questioning based on allegations of corruption levelled against them.

The allegation is based on unbridled corruption and betrayal of public trust.
“The university officials were told to come along with certified true copies of documents including those of capital projects executed in their tenure,” the posting read.
While Oyewole, a Professor of Food Science and Technology, was appointed in 2012, Ilesanmi was appointed in September 2011 and is scheduled to leave office in a month.
Meanwhile the University has declared a 7-day mid-semester break for the Second Semester, 2015/2016 Academic Session with effect from Thursday, August 18, 2016.
This is to enable the university to put additional welfare and security arrangements in place, to further support the initiatives of the Federal and State Governments, towards the protection of lives and properties of its citizens, particularly, members of staff and students of the university.

It was gathered that FUNAAB has partnered with the Ogun State Commissioner of Police and the Director, State Security Service (SSS), to uphold safety of lives and property of staff and students living within the school environs, following Armed Robbery reports received by students residing in Isolu, a community situated close to the University, which is highly populated by staff and students of FUNAAB.

To this end, the University’s Security Team, in collaboration with the Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) from Odeda and Obantoko areas, both in Abeokuta, Ogun State, often take turns on a daily basis to patrol the University environs at nights. The University Management has also encouraged the various communities to embrace community policing and vigilante services, to support the efforts of the Police and the SSS.
It is also important to note that students are properly scrutinised during the University’s screening exercise after the Post-Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, to pro-actively ensure that
candidates with questionable characters are not admitted into the University. Students have also been cautioned to live a low profile life, avoid attracting unnecessary attention to themselves, be vigilant about happenings in their surroundings and be free to contact the University’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), should they notice any strange movement or occurrence around their vicinities.

Towards ensuring that all students reside within the University campus, provision of accommodation is also on the front-burner of the University.

Besides the existing campus hostels which the University had been able to build within its limited resources, FUNAAB has also been able to get well-meaning Nigerians – the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TET Fund), through its Special Intervention Fund, private organisations and generous individuals to build additional hostels within the University, which are currently at various stages of completion.

Furthermore, the University Management has directed that all lectures do not exceed 6pm daily, to allow students get to their homes before dark, while the University transportation services is always available
to convey students, who reside outside the campus, close to their home.