From Odunayo Toluwanimi, Ibadan
The newly appointed Governing Council chairman of The Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa, now Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Dr. Ogundiran Samuel has described as false, the report of his arrest by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.
Ogundiran said this while reacting to media report of his alleged involvement in financial misappropriation in the college, noted that the present administration in Oyo State set up visitation panel to look into the allegation of misappropriation of funds and other issues and indicted non of the Council members including the himself in the white paper released by the government on the report.
The Governing Council chairman, who is an Associate Professor of Educational Administration and Planning, accused the suspended management of the institution led by the former rector, Rasheed Eyitayo as behind the false news.
He said; “As a result of the misappropriation of the suspended management, they wanted to use EFCC to stopped a meeting that was held on 28th of May, 2019 so that the meeting would not hold because they know that if the meeting was held, the decision of the council might affected them.
“We got to EFCC office in Ibadan, late on that day and we were later released on personal recognition, so would I be release on personal recognition if there is indeed a case of misappropriation? And since then, this case has never come up. The Police Area Command in Eruwa was even aware of the whole scenario.
The secretary, Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the six state owned tertiary institutions, Mr Akin Adekanbi, noted that the date on the false story was the last date of the last management which had been suspended, saying that the writers of the false report should have done their investigation very well by confirming from the EFCC Ibadan, the Police Area Command in Eruwa and IBR, 92.5fm, Ibadan before publishing.
There was a lot of crisis in the institution during the tenure of Eyitayo led administration. It got to a stage the Governing Council set up a committee to investigate the cases and on the day it was to take a decision on the committee report, the EFCC swooped on them.
Adekanbi said; “We got to EFCC office at Iyaganku late, and their boss was not around and they were later released us on personal recognition because evidence worked against the suspended management. The government had suspended them and their names had been removed from the pay role of the institution, so in one way or the other, they will be aggrieved.”
The Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnic, Ibarapa Polytechnic branch, Mr Titiloye Joseph described the false news that is currently trending against the governing council chairman as the work of blackmailer who wanted to tarnished the image of the chairman because of his re-emergence as the governing council chairman of the institution
“The suspended management used EFCC to stopped a meeting held by the governing council which might affect them, the Police Area Commander in Eruwa told the EFCC operatives that the council should be allowed to hold the meeting and the council will followed the anti-graft after the meeting which they were later released thereafter.
When contacted on phone, a source within EFCC Ibadan office who pleaded anonymity said that the anti-graft agency only invited, not arrested the Governing Council chairman, adding that the case was not a serious one.
Recalled that Governor Makinde recently constituted the Chairmen and Board members for the six state-owned tertiary institutions, which includes The Polytechnic Ibadan, Oke Ogun Polytechnic, Adeseun Ogundoyin Polytechnic, Eruwa, Emmanuel Alayande College of Education, Oyo among others.
