A retired Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the College of Medicine, University of Lagos (UNILAG) has called on the Presidency to get the anti-corruption agency to act on his N5 billion fraud petition against the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Toyin Ogundipe.
The call is sequel to the reported arrest of the Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Gusau, Professor Magaji Garba by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an an alledged N260m contract scam.
He was detained by the anti-graft agency on Thursday January 28 after he honoured an invitation in relation to his involvement in a case of abuse of office, corrupt practices and contract scam.
A competent source at the anti- graft agency disclosed that he had fraudulently obtained the sum of Two Hundred and Sixty Million Naira (N260, 000,000) from a contractor, Alhaji Shehu Sambo, owner of Ministaco Nigeria Limited, on the pretext that the University was going to award his company a contract worth N3, 000,000,000 (Three Billion Naira) for the construction of perimeter Wall Fence around the institution which never materialised in 2018.
Making his appeal in an email to the Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari on Monday, Oye-Adeniran who was a member of University of Lagos Governing Council from 2017 to 2019, said the arrest of Magaji was encouraging.
He, however, stated that “The EFCC, Lagos Zone, should also be directed to act decisively” on alleged corruption cases against Ogundipe.
According to Oye-Adeniran, also a former President of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), the contract scam in this case was over N5 billion.
Last year, Oye-Adeniran had, in a petition to the EFCC, accused Ogundipe and his management team of awarding contracts amounting to N5 billion without the approval of the governing council of the institution, awarding contracts beyond his N2.5 million approval limit and breaching the Public Procurement Act (PPA) between 2017 and 2020.
The petition also sought the investigation of a former Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Folashade Ogunshola; Bursar of the University of Lagos, Mr. Lekan Lawal; and Director of Procurement of the institution, Dr. James Akamu.
In the petition, addressed to the Chairman (Acting Chairman) of the anti-graft agency and entitled “Acts of Financial Crime by Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe (former Vice Chancellor University of Lagos), Professor Folashade Ogunshola (former Vice Chancellor University of Lagos), Mr. Lekan Lawal (Bursar of the University of Lagos)”, he accused the officials of awarding contracts without due process.
He listed some of the contracts to include N112, 462,990.63 awarded for the renovation of the official living quarters of three principal staff officers.
He alleged that Ogundipe approved the sum of N49,434,038.45 to renovate the Vice Chancellor’s lodge, the sum of N41,817,658.32 was paid out for renovation works of the Bursar’s official residence while the sum of N16, 123, 509.00 was spent on renovating the official residence of the immediate past registrar of the university.
The petition further accused Ogundipe of awarding the sum of N3, 733,494.85 for the renovation of the official residence of the chancellor, while the sum of N1,354,290.00 was spent renovating the pro chancellor’s official residence.
“It is important to note that Professor Ogundipe’s approval limit as Vice Chancellor is N2, 500,000.00. None of this spending was brought to the knowledge of, or received the approval of the governing council as provided in the University Act and extant guidelines on Financial Regulations.
He said the university council at its meeting of 5th September 2018 constituted a committee to investigate the university’s expenditure under Ogundipe as vice chancellor.
Among others, the committee, he said, found out that Ogundipe’s management, without tender board, Finance and General Purpose Committee and Governing Council knowledge or approval, approved contracts that were far in excess of his approval limit of N2,500,000.00.
In other cases, he alleged that awards made by Ogundipe or under his leadership did not satisfy requirements of the Public Procurement Act.
The petition stated that Ogundipe’s management spent a total sum of N57,272,050.44 on waste management and janitorial services in breach of procurement laws and practices.
“These payments were not evidenced by any contract, did not receive council approval, did not go through the university tenders board at all and did not comply with the Public Procurement Act”, it said.
The petition also accused the Professor Toyin Ogundipe-led management of spending the sum of N52,080,000.00 on the purchase of two vehicles well above his personal limit of N2,500,000.00 and the university tender board’s threshold limit of N50,000,000.00.
“This was achieved by a contract splitting device that is illegal and contrary to the Public Procurement Act of 2007,” he alleged.
The petitioner further accused Ogundipe’s management team of spending a total sum of N57,921,581.00 on the foreign trips embarked upon by himself and some of his team.
“The committee found that Professor Ogundipe was able to approve these payments based on an illegal contract splitting device.
“The Committee also found that local running allowances were paid for these foreign trips in breach of the Financial Regulations of 2009 and clarifications by National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission in 2015”, it said.
