Some members of staff of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam have called on anti corruption agencies and relevant authorities to investigate the myriad of allegations against the Acting Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Omenugha
The staff of the University who were represented by Mr Joseph Onu, Managing Consultant at Shield and Sword Consult an Abuja based law firm said it unfortunate that three weeks since they wrote the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) of alleged contract racketeering and fraudulent activities of the Ag VC no investigation had commenced on the matter.
Recall that the staff in a petition to the EFCC called for the investigation of the Ag. VC for contract racketeering amounting to public violation, fraud and financial crimes using her position as the chairman of the University’s Tenders Board.
They alleged that some of the infractions were Allocation for year 2024 TETFUND Special High Impact Project Intervention Disbursement of
first Tranche of Funds amounting to N4 billion and splitting and awarding the contracts against the provision of the Public Procurement Act.
“Staff Biometric Capturing Exercise” contract was awarded by the Ag. Vice-chancellor to her family members in total disregard for conflict of interest which violated parts of the Public Procurement Act 2007.
They also alleged that the facelift of the University Gate House was started by the Ag. VC and her family members without input from the Director of
Physical Planning and valuation by the Council as required by law among others.
The petitioners said such weighty allegations of graft and abuse of office should not be swept under the carpet on the account of what it called watery face-saving rejoinder by the University Public Relations Office.
They said rather than respond to the issues, the Ag. VC recruited the Students Union Government of the university which read a scripted defence for the management in respect of the alleged petition to the EFCC.
“Unfortunately, the Student Union government of the university seems to have been too hasty in sending out the purported rejoinder to the EFCC petition which has nothing to do with students.
“It was expected that the Ag VC would have written a rejoinder herself, denying the allegations in the said petition because she alone knows the truth about those allegations.
“The denial published by the university’s PRO,
was more or less an empty document that rigmarole without denying any of the said allegations in specific terms.
“Even though the hired parrots speaking for the Ag. VC were correct, how do they reconcile their position with the press Statement issued by the President of the medical students, which was corroborated by the Provost of the college both of which documents appear to have given Credence to the EFCC petition with respect to the case of the 20 Million Solar system installation in the college alleged to have been executed by the family member of the Ag Vice chancellor.
“There is a petition before the EFCC and it is the duty of the anti graft agency to investigate the allegations contained in it and it is the responsibility of the Ag. Vice Chancellor to provide answers to their interrogations on those issues and more that she may need to answer,” they said
They said COOU was a flagship institution in Anambra state and commended Gov. Soludo was working hard to reposition the institution to make it a befitting citadel of learning especially for children who desired quality education but may not have the financial capacity to access private universities.
In the Town Hall meeting on dec.19, 2024, Pro-Chancellor, Professor Chidi Odinkalu announced that Prof. Soludo had directed the drttin up of a Genius Fund which will avail indigent students from Anambra to access quality education in the university but the fund had been hijacked.
The petitioners alleged that the admission process as regards new intakes into the 2024/2025 academic year had been high-jacked, compromised and grossly monetized by the Ag Vice Chancellor, his family member and the admission officer.
They said it was an open secret that children of the less privileged were deliberately schemed out of admission into the core courses of Medicine, Law, Pharmacy, Nursing and Medical Laboratories Sciences which were allegedly sold to the highest bidders by the Ag. VC and her cohorts
They alleged that no fewer than 72 beneficiaries of the TETfund Institution-Based Research grant from COOU were fleeced between N190,000 and N600,000 by coercion as kickbacks into a private Moniepoint account.
“Admission into courses such as Faculty of Law, Medicine and Surgery, Nursing, Pharmacy and Medical Laboratory Sciences were allegedly sold for as much as N3 million to undeserving candidates.
“Merit was not considered in about 80 percent of the admissions into those faculties and departments. Selling points were allegedly designated for those admission and the sellers are known staff of the university.
“It got to a point where people considered to have paid less for the admissions were removed from the list once desperate people that paid higher sums emerged.
“Not even respected officers of the university could secure admission for their wards.
“The administration of the university is now a case study in corruption and impunity, the EFCC, University Council and the Visitor to the university must take steps to end the reign of corruption and administrative rascality going on in the institution.
