By Tony Ezimakor
Abuja – Nigeria’s premier
university, the University of Ibadan, is enmeshed in alleged corruption
scandal bordering on misappropriation of varsity funds totalling over
N1.98 billion.It was learnt that the sum is substantially
internally generated annually from school fees and other levies charged
by the university for postgraduate, undergraduate, diploma, and distance
learning programmes.A group of students and varsity dons who levelled the allegation were already spoiling for a showdown with the authorities.
Some
of the agitators claim that they were putting together a petition to
the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC).They have also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to beam the anti-corruption searchlight on the institution.
But
Dr. Michael Alatise, the University Bursar, said those complaining
should come out bold with facts. He said emphatically that he could beat
his chest for the University of Ibadan when it comes to transparency.The
agitators regretted that despite huge revenue generated by the
institution, learning facilities such as laboratories, libraries, and
materials for research had continued to elude key centres and
departments of the institution.They also pointed out that
petitions filed against the immediate past and present management of the
institution had been ignored or bypassed.One of the petitioners
disclosed that the postgraduate school of the institution, in
particular, was the bedrock of the alleged corruption crippling the
institution.According to her, the postgraduate school is run on collegiate system, allowing it to enjoy a quasi-semi-autonomous status.
As
a result, she claimed, accounts of the postgraduate school were not
subjected to scrutiny by the varsity authorities even though the provost
of the postgraduate college reports directly to the vice chancellor,
and the finance office headed by a deputy bursar also reports to the
office of the vice chancellor.She lamented that though the
University of Ibadan, as the country’s premier university, was
generating huge revenue compared to her peers, amounting close to N1.98
billion annually, it sadly has little to show for it in terms of modern
teaching and research infrastructure and facilities.Documentary
evidence gleaned by this newspaper revealed that the postgraduate output
of the University of Ibadan, including diplomas in 2016 alone totalled
4,169, and the Master’s programme having the highest chunk of 3,611 in
all disciplines.A total of 449 and 109, respectively, enrolled for PhD and diploma programmes in that year.
Similarly, the graduate output, according to pocket statistics released by the institution in the same year, is put at 10,064.
The number includes graduates from UI campus, Distance Learning Centre, and affiliated institutions.
In
terms of chargeable fees, our findings revealed that for post graduate
students admission, the university made an estimated N133.3 million
annually from N35, 000 paid as acceptance fees and raked in about N471,
200,000 from postgraduate students as tuition fees of N124, 000 for
science, law, social science, and humanities.According to our source, only 40% of the sum per student gets to the teaching department.
“The
remaining, over N100,000 or so per student, was retained in the
Postgraduate College for administration of programmes, and it is between
the provost of the college and the vice chancellor of the university.”Despite the reasonable sums generated, it was learnt that quite a little is ploughed into the system in terms of equipment.
It
was further gathered that the last time teaching and research equipment
were upgraded in the institution, especially for science
students/courses, was in the era of Professor Olufemi Bamiro that lapsed
in 2010.Said another source, “Regrettably, most of that
equipment are now outdated, some are not functioning, or completely
damaged or in disuse because of poor maintenance by the present and
immediate past management of the varsity.“How can we compete
favourably with the rest of the world or expect any development as a
nation if we continue to produce students that are not up to date with
facilities and equipment in their course of study?“How can we
raise our heads high in the committee of dons in the world and say we
have produced the best if even we, as teachers, are not availed the
latest equipment in our field of practice? It is garbage in, garbage out
for us and that is the sad truth.”According to her, TETFUND was
supporting varsities with construction of buildings and the university
was also heavily subsidised by the Federal Government which pays the
salaries of all the staff of the institution, which is over one billion
naira per month.She alleged that little scrutiny was given to the almost N2 billion being generated by the university.
More worrisome to the agitators are the threats by the varsity management against perceived critics of the administration.
She
said at least two of those who are bold to speak out against the
alleged corruption and maladministration in the university have been
coerced into submission through phony staff disciplinary actions.“Some
have been suspended or dismissed by the authority and that is why we
are asking the anti-graft agencies and most especially President
Muhammadu Buhari, who is the visitor to the university, to look into
this matter so as to salvage not only the premier university but also
the entire education sector,” she added.Dr. Alatise, who
debunked the allegations, said the university was not only transparent
in deployment of funds, it was also prudent in the utilisation of fees
paid by students of the university.“To the best of my knowledge,
student fees is the prerogative of the university to utilise. It is not
as if it is targeted at any particular project.“Where any fund
is targeted at any particular project, such fund is labelled. I’m not
sure there is any student that got receipt for developmental fee for
specific project.“What do students pay for? Students pay for
tuition, they pay for accommodation, they pay for medical, they pay for
sports, and these are specific fee items. So, what they are talking
about, I don’t know, I don’t know where that is coming from.“Development
of infrastructure in the university normally should be funded by
government through series of interventions, and it is a continuous
process.“For instance, the seed fund of N98 million, we are yet
to deploy for various projects it is meant for. This Friday, the
university’s tender’s board will be meeting to decide for which projects
the fund will be used.“And it cannot be for only postgraduate programmes. We have postgraduate programmes, we have undergraduate programmes.
“It can only be for facilities that need updating, and then we deploy the funds to those projects.
“You
see, if it is University of Ibadan, I can beat my chest for
transparency. No funds can be used for any project it was not earmarked.“You
know, in UI, everybody can speak, everybody writes. If those making the
allegations say they are victimised, then they should give more
information. What they are talking about is strange. In fact, I have no
idea”, he said.
Source:- Independentng
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