Alleged fraud: Varsity Workers Drag EFCC To Court For Refusing To Probe UNIOSUN VC

Workers of the Osun State University under the aegis of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational And Associated Institutions have approached the Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, Osun State for an order compelling the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission  to investigate and prosecute the Vice Chancellor of UNIOSUN, Prof Labo Popoola, for allegedly Mismanaging the funds of the university.

The workers claimed that the vice chancellor mismanaged over N100m belonging to the school aside other alleged corrupt practices.

 When the matter, with suit number FHC/OS/CS/44/2020, came up before Justice Peter Lifu on Tuesday, counsel for the applicant (NASU), Mr Kanmi Ajibola, told the court that the application for judicial review was brought before the court in pursuant to order 34 rules 1, 2 and 3 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) of the 2019, sections 6(6) (B), 251(I) (O) and (R) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).

According to him, the Motion on Notice dated November 11, 2020 was filed on November 12 and duly served on the respondents same day and urged the court to hear the motion and order the EFCC to Investigate and prosecute the vice chancellor for allegedly siphoning the funds of the university.

NASU informed the court that it had written a comprehensive petition supported with documents to the EFCC in Ibadan against the VC since 2018 but the anti-graft agency refused to act on it.

The applicant also told the court that two different letters were sent to the EFCC to remind the agency to act upon the petition against the VC but the agency still refused to take any action on it.

But counsels to EFCC and the vice chancellor, M. S. Usman and. S. B. Ayeni respectively, sought relief of the court to adjourn the sitting to allow it respond to the application before the court on the ground that the filed motion on notice was handed to them on Monday. They pleaded with the court to give them more time to respond having exhausted the required period stated in the notice.

But applicant’s counsel while opposing the application for adjournment said his clients must not be made to suffer for the respondents’ decision not to respond to the application.

He prayed the court to order the anti-corruption agency and the vice chancellor to pay N100,000 each to the applicant as the cost for inconveniences should the application for adjournment be granted.

Justice Lifu said it is unfortunate that counsel disregarded a clear court order and wanted the court to act with impunity because they (respondents’ counsels) failed to do what was expected of them.

The judge adjourned the case till November 25 and ordered that the EFCC and the VC should pay NASU for the inconveniences the adjournment would cost the workers.

The judge ruled: “the application for adjournment in this instance as made by the respondents is without cogent, compelling or convincing recourse. Fair hearing has been adequately expended to the parties in this case.

Lifu ruled, “Since the inconvenience can be assuaged or compensated, I bend backward to reluctantly accommodate the respondents by granting next adjournment to the 25th of November, 2020 for definite hearing as agreed by parties.

“Since an adjournment has been granted thereby preventing the hearing of this case today, I grant the cost of N20,000 each against the respondents but in favour of the applicant.”