Workers, students protest as EFCC detains OAU VC
Staff and students of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife on Tuesday staged a protest in solidarity with the institution’s acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Anthony Elujoba.
The Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) had summoned the acting Vice-Chancellor of the OAU and Bursar, Mrs. Aderonke Akeredolu, over alleged payment of hazard allowance to workers on Tuesday.
The allowances paid to both academic and non-academic staff from the university’s endowment fund were over N1bn.
The protests took place simultaneously on the university campus.
When our correspondent visited the university, the workers assembled at the popular freedom park sympathising with the acting VC.
The workers said they were in support of the payment of the allowances, saying it made pace to reign after over three years of crises.
They also requested that the administration of former OAU VC, Prof. Bamitale Omole, should be probed.
As at the time of filling this report, the acting VC was still being quizzed by the EFCC officials.
The Public Relations Officer of the OAU, Biodun Olarewaju, claimed that the fund used to pay the workers’ allowances was hidden in a ‘secret account’ by the past administration.
Representative of the students, Sunday Falade, wondered why the EFCC has refused to probe the former VC of the institution despite the numerous allegation of mismanagement against him.
He said, “The sacrifice made by the acting VC is not too big for peace to be restored on that campus. We now enjoy a smooth academic calendar and our welfare is improving.
“This action of taking the acting VC to the EFCC shows that the Federal Government does not want peace on our campus and we reject it in totality.”
The chairman of NASU, Wole Odewunmi, urged the federal government to find a way of paying the remaining allowance instead of punishing “the innocent man”.
He said, “Since 2015, we have been writing several petitions and submitted through e-mail and hard copy with several allegations against the former VC and nothing has been done.
“The allowances we collected are our entitlement. We worked for it. The FG is still owing us about 80 months allowances. They should consider paying us and not punish someone that has paid part. We are ready to sleep here and mobilise in full force tomorrow (Wednesday).”
