Dr. Samuel Ogundiran is the newly appointed Governing Council chairman of the Ibarapa Polytechnic in Eruwa. He speaks with Ojo Peter of integrityreporters, talks on his allegedly arrest last year by anti corruption agency ( EFCC) for misappropriation of fund and other salient issues. Excerpts:
Que :How did the issue started?
Ans: The Suspended management faced a Panel set up by the Governing Council over serious offenses ranging from falsification of official records, financial fraud among others. It was on this day (May 18) when the Panel was to present their findings to the Council that they brought EFCC to threaten us but the Area Commander in Eruwa and his DPO insisted that the meeting must hold and they stood by us till we finished the meeting at around 6pm which resulted to their suspension.
Que: Were you actually arrested by the EFCC?
Ans: EFCC didn’t come to arrest us but we were invited for interrogation. The Area Commander, the DPO and the Unions insisted that we should not go but I pleaded with them to allow us to go which they later did. All the Governing Council members went to answer their invitation and I was driven in a Police vehicle provided by the Area Commander and the Unions numbering over 40 followed us. Since May 2018, we have never received any invitation from the EFCC again. The first day of seeing the EFCC was May 28, we went there, even though it was late.
Que: What can you say about the allegation of collection of double allowance leveled against you?
Ans: My Council never collected any money above the approved template which the suspended management brought from The Polytechnic, Ibadan and we adopted as approved at the Council meeting on our resumption of office on January 18, 2018. We never increased any part of it. It was the same payment in 2018 that was repeated in 2019.The suspended management were the ones who collected a particular allowance from three different ways as presented to the EFCC and the Visitation Panel. It was on this confirmation from the evidences that the EFCC said that we should go on personal recognition.
Que: What are your achievements as the former governing council chairman of the institution?
Ans: To the glory of God, my administration never recorded any lapses. Even though, there was no money as Government was giving us 25% subvention monthly, we struggled to pay full and timely salaries to workers and we also paid parts of the debts incured by the Government before we came on board. We also increased Part Time and Casual workers monthly take home and immediately we asked them to proceed on their accumulated annual leave with the efforts of the Acting Management which were not possible when they were there.. I submitted the comprehensive report of all these to His Excellency’s Office on behalf of the Governing Council to meet it on his assumption of duty after his swearing in in May 29,2019.The good work we started when they were on accumulated annual leave must see the light of the day by his grace. The host community, the Unions among others are working with me to redeem the image of the Institution.
Qes: How about the issue of furniture allowance?
Ans: The furniture allowance as contained in the template we adopted from The Polytechnic, Ibadan through them stated that the allowance is once in a year as presented to the EFCC, the Visitation Panel and as attached to the report we filed in to His Excellency’s office on assumption of office after his Swearing in on May 29, 2019, and it was taken once as it was in 2018. There was no allowance the Governing Council took contrary to its provisions in the said template. There was never any duplication of payment to either the Chairman or his members throughout. All these allegations are fully against them and not the Council. We carried out External Auditing of the Institution’s Account as well as Personnel Auditing and they were found wanting in all areas.
The reports that the Unions submitted to the EFCC and others are in tandem with the Governing Council’s with evidences attached. I never collected #5 pure water from any of them till the end of my administration in 2019 but if they have any proof of such, they can bring it out to the public. The provisions, pet drinks, sweet and others supplied to my office since January 18,2019 will still be there now if they have not packed them.
During the wrangling period, he was sending elders from his town to the elders of my town to plead with me which I told them at home that it was an official issue. The host community and the entire Staff Unions among others are my witnesses. All these activities of theirs are share blackmail, knowing fully well that they cannot buy me over with anything.
