…Enemies of progress at work, says Provost
The management of Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun has denied an allegation of financial impropriety and embezzlement leveled against it.
The Provost of the institution, Prof. Isaac Oyewole in a chat with Campus Sun said enemies of progress and some disgruntled elements, who were not comfortable with his style of administration, were peddling the allegation.
However, he admitted that some officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) had visited the institution based on a petition written to the commission by some individuals, but noted that the ICPC has not come out with its verdict on the investigation.
Prof. Oyewole, who stated that his administration was against corruption and illegal activities, said all forms of corrupt acts by both the academic and non-academic staff of the institution have been halted since his assumption of office.
But the institution’s chapter of the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU) insisted that the chairman of the institution Governing Council, Mr Niyi Akande was engaged in financial impropriety, a situation which made the ICPC to invite him for interrogation.
The leadership of COEASU in the institution alleged that Mr Akande was involved in many atrocities including financial mismanagement, hence the investigation by the ICPC.
But, the college Provost, Prof. Oyewole explained that the investigation by ICPC was based on a petition the commission received on a project being executed by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, which was contracted before his assumption of office.
He said his administration has put in place measures to prevent corrupt acts on the part of the staff of the institution, adding that his administration put in place a Quality Control Unit to assess publications by lecturers of the institution.
Oyewole said “some officials of the ICPC recently visited the institution and requested for documents in respect of a project going on in the institution. The visit by the ICPC was sequel to a petition written to the commission on a project going on in the institution.”
“We are law-abiding people and we shall not commit any atrocity to rubbish our integrity and that of the institution. The college is rated high and this is evident in the approval given to all our projects by both the state government and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund,” he added.
On the non-payment of peculiar allowance by the management of the institution to the staff, Oyewole said the allowance had been paid up till October last year, saying that the outstanding allowance would be paid as soon as the economy of the institution improves.
He said the recent closure of the institution was as a result of peaceful protest embarked upon by some students of the institution due to the suspension of their second semester examination.
He added that the management of the institution has resolved issues that led to the protest, adding that the institution will soon be re-opened for commencement of the second semester examination.
But the academic staff of the college insisted on the full payment of their peculiar allowance before returning to their duty posts.
The chairman of the institution branch of COEASU, Mr Segun Onifade, said the staff of the college would continue to dialogue with the management, adding that they would not resume until the payment of the outstanding allowance.