The Civil Societies Coalition for the Emancipation of Osun State (CSCEOS) says it has uncovered a plan by the authorities of the Osun State College of Education (OSSCE), Ila-Orangun and the State House of Assembly to cover an allegation of over N300 million financial impropriety, involving Niyi Akande, the younger brother of former Osun State Governor and chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Bisi Akande.
Niyi has been the part-time chairman of the Governing Council of the College since 2013.
Already, a petition on the matter written by the local chapter of Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) and sent to the state House of Assembly early this year has been placed under the carpet, “apparently because of the alleged involvement of the brother of former interim national chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande,” the coalition said in a statement made available to News Express.
Others fingered in the sleaze allegation include the college’s former acting provost, Dr Basiru Gbadamosi; Registrar and Secretary to the Governing Council, Aderinola Adeoti; former college bursar, now Bursar, College of Education, Ilesa, Akin Latilo and Mr David Olayinka Olojede, a member of the governing council.
The rest are Oyegbade Reuben Abayo, Amobi Yinusa Akinlola, Ayoola Peter Olajiola, Moses Oyewole Otitoola and Kujeunbola Oluwafemi.
The CSCEOS revealed the alleged misappropriation in a statement signed by their Chairman, Comrade Alimi Sulaiman Adeniyi, after a recent emergency meeting in Osogbo,
They declared that the civil society coalition had been investigating the matter for the past five months before getting all the information and documents related to the matter; promising to ensure justice was done on the issue, no matter whose ox is gored.
Adeniyi disclosed that the group had concluded arrangement to petition the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), Osun State Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola and Osun State House of Assembly, through its Speaker, on the alleged act by officials of the college.
It was gathered that the alleged financial impropriety was as a result of diversion of funds meant and approved for some projects in the college community for the construction of TETFUND Amphitheatre, Ila Technical College, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Department, and binding building.
Besides, the incident, according to verified documents, showed that the scam included fees for collection of certificates, college transport account, and college history, among others.
The civil society group alleged that the authority of the college had purportedly spent close to N300 million on the foregoing projects since 2014 and, yet, the projects did not see the light of the day till this present moment because, according to our usually reliable sources, “all the funds released for the projects have been allegedly diverted by Niyi Akande and his co-travellers.”
The group recalled that this was the college that Governor Aregbesola said was unviable a fortnight ago, which made the state government to plan the merger of the state-owned two colleges of education in Ilesa and Ila-Orangun, if not for public outcry on the danger of the government action.
The group added: “The sum of N107 million out of N125 million as part of fund released by the Tetfund as special intervention to the college for building of a lecture theatre (amphitheatre) remains unaccounted for as the foundation of the project has not been completed after two years which the project has been awarded.
“At one of the council meetings where the failed contract was extensively discussed, council noted that though the sum of N107million had been released to the contractor, evaluators which the council brought from the Ministry of Works, Osogbo valued the work done at the site at just N13 million.
“Surprisingly, Mr Oyeniyi Akande promised to handle the issue with ‘maturity. His position to use ‘maturity’ rather than litigation and sanction is at variance with Mr Akande’s make-believe anti-corruption posture.”
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