FACTS have emerged on the immediate remote cause of the wide allegation of massive corrupt practices levied against the Management and staff of the Edo State-owned Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma by the University’s Special Intervention Team (SIT).
A dependable source in the University told the Hobnob News Media today, Sunday May 14, 2023, that the SIT’s claim is not unconnected with the struggle and fight for control of the University’s Exams and Records Division.
The University’s SIT had, in its interim report to the Visitor to the University and Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, during the week, claimed the discovery of massive corrupt practices, including certificate and transcript racketeering, in the University.
The SIT report is said to be part of its winding-up activities in the University. At a meeting of stakeholders on 16th March, 2023, the Governor announced a 90-day window for the SIT to wind up to pave way for a Governing Council in consonance with the University law, tradition and global best practice.
It was learnt that the newly found anti-corruption posture of the SIT is the climax of the serious disagreement between Mr. Austin Osakue, as the de facto Chairman of SIT, and Professor Sunnie Adagboyin, the Acting Vice Chancellor. The cold war is over who and who controls the Exams and Records. The Division is a huge source of internally generated revenue in the University, given that it is in-charge of the issuance of statement of results for undergraduate and diploma students, confirmation of results, and issuance of academic transcripts.
Investigation revealed that trouble started when Mr. Osakue, in a bid to establish full control of the division, directed the immediate transfer of Mr. Abel Imafidon, a Deputy Register (DR), as the Head of the Division and his replacement with a junior officer, Mr. Chris Omo-Iriobhogbe, a Principal Assistant Registrar (PAR). This was in November, 2022.
It was gathered that Mr. Omo-Iriobhogbe took over the division of exams and records of the University as the Head against the wish of the Acting Vice Chancellor.Hobnob News Media gathered that Mr. Omo-Iriobhogbe had boasted to his colleagues that the Acting Vice Chancellor cannot direct his transfer on the position against the directive of Mr. Osakue.
The Acting Vice Chancellor is said not to be disposed to Mr. Osakue’s preference of Mr. Omo-Iriobhogbe because he was fingered by the Omokhodion-led Governing Council in corrupt practices. Mr. Chris Omo-Iriobhogbe served as a personal assistant to Prof. Ignatius Onimawo, the former Vice-Chancellor of the University who has been at the centre of the big financial fraud in the University.
It would be recalled that Omokhodion-led Governing maintained that his Council “discovered that N350 million of AAU funds was transferred from its various bank accounts/revenue units between October 2016 and December 2018 into the private bank accounts of two personal assistants to the VC, namely, Christopher Omo-Iribhogbe and Eugene Eraikhuemen,” a practice which the Chairman of the Council, claimed is a violation of the University’s financial regulations. The Zenith bank account numbers of the two personal assistants are known and the full investigative report is available at AAU and has been with the Government. It was established that the large sums transferred into the private accounts of the VC’s personal assistants were subsequently paid to the VC, his wife and children.”
Hobnob News News Media learnt that while the Acting Vice Chancellor expressed reservations and strong opposition to the candidature of Omo-Iribhogbe, Mr. Osakue insisted on him.
The Acting Vice Chancellor finally had his way in March, this year, when he directed the successful transfer of Mr. Omo-Iribhogbe out of Exams and Regards in the absence of Mr. Osakue who was said to be out of the country then.
The fight for control of the division took a new twist when Mr. Osakue returned to the Country and not only condemned the removal of Mr. Omo-Iribhogbe from the Exams and Records but also asked the Acting Vice Chancellor either reverse the removal of Mr. Omo-Iribhogbe from Exams and Records or constitute a Committee on transcripts and make him (Osakue) the Chairman.
It was gathered that the resistance of the Acting Vice Chancellor against Mr. Osakue to continue to use Mr. Omo-Iribhogbe as a conduit pipe to siphon the University’s money is the immediate cause of the wide allegation of corrupt practices, using the SIT as cover.
“Osakue’s strategy is to hide under the cover of the allegation of massive corrupt practices to blackmail the Management and staff of the University into submission”, reliable sources in the University maintained.
Hobnob News Media gathered that Osakue is synonymous with SIT. The Chairman of SIT, Mr. Andrew Olotu is nowhere to be found since the inauguration of the SIT. Osakue’s position and attitude in the University is that of a sole administrator, sources said.
