Gabriel Dike
One month after an Ogun State High Court discharged and acquitted the former Bursar of Federal University of Agricultural, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Mr. Moses Ilesanmi and two others, the Governing Council of the institution has terminated his appointment.
The Eduction Report gathered that the decision to terminate the appointment of the former bursar was taken at an emergency meeting of the governing council held on Thursday, May 31.
Also, the three Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) members who petitioned (whistleblowers) the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have been penciled down for sack by the governing council at it next meeting in August.
On Thursday, May 17, an Ogun State High Court presided by Justice Olatokunbo Majekodunmi discharged and acquitted the trio of Senator Adeseye Ogunleye, former governing council chairman, Prof Olusola Oyewole, former vice chancellor of FUNAAB and Mr. Moses Ilesanmi, former bursar of alleged misappropriation of fund totalling N409million.
Both Mr. Ilesanmi and Prof Oyewole after the court judgment wrote the governing council demanding to be reinstatted.
FUNAAB source said ’’On the strength of the ruling of the court, the council of the university held a special governing council meeting where the request of the former VC and bursar for reinstatement and lifting of interdiction placed on them were to be discussed.
’’The meeting held on 31st May 2018 resolved after its extensive deliberation to recalled the former VC and pay him the balance of his withheld salary, while the appointment of the former bursar was terminated for making some documents available to the whistleblowers who used it to petition EFCC.
The internal members of council who are mostly academic staff insisted the three whistleblowers should also be sacked, after some deliberation the council resolved that in order to douse tension, the sack of the three whistleblowers should be deferred till next council meeting in August.
’’The ASUU position as canvassed by their members on the university council is to make example of the three whistleblowers and their supporters to deter others in future from raising their voices against any perceived wrong doings. The three whistleblowers were earlier issued with warning letters and barred from holding any positions of responsibility in the university for the next two years.
’’Despite appeals from the whistleblowers and protest from SSANU against the sanction, the council refused to rescind it decision. ASUU felt that the sanctions meted out was not strong enough, hence it resolved to ensure that the whistleblowers were sacked.
’A current principal officer who was made to refund more than N1.8 million during the investigation of the case has not hidden his bitterness against the whistleblowers and SSANU by his utterances and actions since assuming office’’.
A senior staff of FUNAAB told Daily Sun that rather than reinstate the former bursar based on the court judgment, the governing council on the behest of internal council members pushed for his sack.
It was gathered that those opposed to Mr. Ilesanmi reinstatement alleged that he provided the documents used by the whistleblowers to petition the EFCC which lead to the prosecution of the former governing council chairman, Senator Ogunleye and former VC, Prof Oyewole.
The council led by the former Permanent Secretary, Federal of Ministry of Education, Dr. Aboki Zhawa after deliberation approved the sack of Mr. Ilesanmi.
The same group that pushed for the sack of the former bursar moved for the reinstatement of the former VC, Prof Oyewole and the decision is generating ripples among the non academic staff.
The image maker of FUNAAB, Dr. (Mrs.) Linda Onwuka told The Education Report that she is not aware of the sack of the former bursar and reinstatement of the former VC adding ’’I know both were interdicted and court acquittted them.’’
The Education Report asked Dr. Onwuka if the former bursar faced any panel to warrant his scak, she claimed ignorance of the May 31st council meeting asking our Correspondent if the meeting was held last year.
When contacted, Mr. Ilesanmi told our Correspondent that it is an internal issue for now while the governing council chairman, Dr. Zhawa did not pick his calls and also failed to respond to text message sent to his phone.