Rivers Varsity ASUU chair, former Acting VC fingered in N1.3 bn fraud

The branch Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education Rumuolumeni, Rivers state, Dr. Ugochukwu Agi, has been accused of colluding with the former Acting Vice Chancellor of the institution, Prof. Joseph Kinane, to embezzle the sum of N1.3 billion generated during the tenure of the varsity’s first Vice Chancellor, Prof. (Mrs.) Rosemund Dienye Green-Osahogulu.

A lecturer in the university’s Department of Foundations of Education, who strongly pleaded anonymity for fear of victimisation, told the Daily Times in Abuja on Thursday in an exclusive chat that he has already submitted a petition to that effect to the ICPC and expects the duo to be invited for questioning any moment from now.

He said the level of collaboration between the former Acting VC and the ASUU Chairman were extremely suspicious as the union during that period remained a stooge of the former Acting Vice Chancellor.

Recall that following the crises that engulfed the university in 2015, which the Daily Times gathered were deliberately fueled by a cabal in the institution that were looking for every avenue to push Prof. Rosemund and a few other trusted officers out,

the then Vice Chancellor was eventually sent out on compulsory leave by Governor Nyesom Wike, who also ordered her to hand over to Prof. Joseph Kinane as the acting VC.

Records also have it that Prof. Rosemund, who happens to be the first female Vice Chancellor that Rivers State has ever produced, handed over a rich treasury containing the said amount to the Acting VC, Prof. Joseph Kinane.

The institution was upgraded to a university and Prof. Rosemund Dienye Green-Osahogulu was meritoriously appointed as its first Vice Chancellor by the Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi government.

The institution was said to have witnessed positive transformation through sanitisation of the age-long corrupt system in the school, enhanced revenue generation and blockage of all avenues of financial leakages that had been the bane of the institution.

The incumbent Vice Chancellor, Prof. Ozo-Mekuri Ndimele, also confirmed the fraud allegations when the Daily Times contacted him on the phone.

He further expressed shock over the inability of his predecessor to ensure accountability and prudent management of funds.

He explained that “the immediate past acting Vice Chancellor got handover cash of over N1.3 billion but handed over less than N300 million out of which N98.1 million is union’s check-off and pensioners’ money.

It is amazing how over N1.3 billion plus the income that was generated internally over the past one year was burnt off before my arrival’’.

“It also hurts to know that the debt profile of the University is huge. Even though the handover note did not state anything about debt profile, the harassment from contractors to be paid in the last two weeks is overwhelming’’.

Meanwhile, the ASUU chairman of the university, Dr. Agi, when contacted on phone, denied being involved in the fraud allegations, insisting that he is ready to defend himself whenever he is called upon to do so

Efforts to reach the former acting VC, Prof. Joseph Kinane, before filing this report were futile.