Prof Oloyede, Ambali in N3.5 billion scandal as EFCC commences investigation

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is to commence investigation into the alleged disappearance of more than N2 billion in the University of Ilorin also called UNILORIN.

This is because the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) petitioned the anti-graft agency against the management of the foremost institution in Nigeria, its past and current vice chancellors, Professor Prof Ishaq Oloyede and Professor Abdulganiyu Ambali.

ASUU petitioned EFCC against Prof Oloyede and Ambali over a N3.5 billion fraud

Oloyede is not the head of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) but his appointment by President Muhammadu Buhari has been protested against by ASUU.

The petition, according to the Nigerian Tribune, was submitted on Thursday, December 29, 2016 at the zonal office of the EFCC at 16, Reverend Oyedeji Crescent, Iyaganku, Ibadan.

According to the report, the petition was titled: ‘Complaint of fraudulent practices by Professor IO Oloyede and Professor AG Ambali as immediate past and current vice chancellors respectively of the University of Ilorin: Pension fraud and other financial and economic crimes.’

The petition was reportedly signed by the Ibadan zone chairmen of ASUU, Dr Ade Adejumo, and the chairman of ASUU in the University of Ibadan, Dr Deji Omole, Dr Biodun Olaniran of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Dr Dauda Adeshina, Kwara state University, and Dr Kayode Afolayan of the University of Ilorin.

ASUU listed pension fraud, unremitted deductions, extortion from students, contract inflation and kick-backs; as well as unlawful payments to ex-principal officers of the university as some of the allegations against the duo.

According to ASUU, the university management is one of the most corrupt among tertiary institutions in the country.

It said the university had done a lot to silence whistleblowers adding that in 2011, Oloyede doubled the amount of pension being deducted from staff under the pretext that the previous deductions were lower than prescribed in law.

“For the avoidance of doubt, the legal minimum prescribed by Pension Act at the time was 7.5 per cent of emoluments and staff were paying even above this minimum.

“By way of comparison, in federal universities such as University of Lagos and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, the sum of N20, 124. 62 is deducted from each professor as pension contribution per month.

“However, in the University of Ilorin, the sum of N40, 206. 42 is deducted monthly for the same pension contribution contrary to law,” the petition stated.

Also, the petition claimed a fraud case of N1.5 billion as jointly perpetrated by the immediate past vice chancellor and the incumbent on fraudulent and unremitted deductions from staff salaries.

“Our preliminary investigations revealed that billions of naira have been extorted from population of about 35,000 students including Sandwich students over the past years,” the petition said.