By Olalekan Akindoju
The latest allegations of financial misappropriation rocking the Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun, has threatened to throw the institution off balance.
Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke, has ordered an investigation, while the college provost has been suspended, with the deputy provost taking temporary charge.
Olalekan Akindoju reports on the crisis.
Established in September, 1979, Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun has a mandate to train quality teachers to acquire qualifications in Nigeria Certificate in Education, NCE, and Degree.
But in recent days, the institution has been rocked by allegations of financial misappropriation, with over 200 million naira said to have been squandered within five months of the assumption of office of a new governing council.
These allegations have pitted the Provost, Professor Jimoh Afolabi, who has been suspended, and the former bursar of the institution, Dr Rasheed Oyedeji against the chairman of the governing council, Dr Peter Babalola.
It is, however, not the first time allegations of embezzlement will be levelled against the institution’s management, as indicated in media reports in 2017 and 2022.
In the latest incident, the college, under the supervision of the chairman of the governing council, Dr Babalola, was accused of spending 81 million naira for the accreditation of five courses and obtained a 35 million naira loan approved by the state government on December 6th, 2023.
The governing council chairman was also accused of funds diversion, and holding council meetings almost every week instead of quarterly, thereby going home with a minimum of 660 thousand naira per meeting, despite the quarterly operational cost of 500 thousand naira approved for him.
However, Dr Babalola denied the allegations, saying the refusal to allow the conversion of government monies and property into private pockets led to the media war against him.
But the former bursar of the institution, Dr Rasheed Oyedeji, while speaking on a programme on Rave 91.7FM, insisted that over 200 million naira was wasted by the governing council.
Amid the accusations and counter-accusations, Osun state Governor, Ademola Adeleke, ordered an immediate investigation into the controversy, directing that his Chief of Staff should lead a committee to investigate the matter.
The governor warned that anyone implicated in any wrongdoing, financial mismanagement, or corrupt conduct will face heavy sanctions, adding that he will not shield anybody no matter how highly placed.
This investigation is being welcomed by the academic staff union in the institution, COEASU.
Chairman of the union, Akinpelumi Ojuokurolola, says such investigation is long overdue as, according to him, the institution’s finances has been mismanaged for years, with workers owed about 60 months of a percentage of their salaries.
Attempts to get the reaction of the suspended Provost, Professor Jimoh Afolabi, was not successful as he did not pick several calls made to his line.
