Yabatech messy crises update

The bursar of the Yaba College of Technology, Olu Ibirogba, who’s currently on suspension, has accused the school’s rector, Dr Kudirat Margaret Ladipo, of large scale fraud, economic and financial misappropriation. In a letter written by his lawyer, Frank Eke & Co, to the President, Muhammadu Buhari, and the Vice-President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, Ibirogba said that pursuant to the provision of Section 38 of the Economic and Financial Crimes (Establishment) Act, 2004, he sees it as his duty to bring to the attention of the government the misappropriations. According to the letter, Ibirogba has sufficient information regarding the extent, audacity and temerity with impunity to which the alleged crimes have been perpetrated, to the extent that the rector has allegedly embezzled not less than N2bn in the last five years. Concludingly, the letter pleaded that “Your Excellency, we enjoin you most pleadingly to direct the appropriate anti-graft agency as well as the federal Ministry of Education to commence detailed investigation of these allegations while the institution’s governing council and management are made to step aside to facilitate the unimpeded and unfettered inquiries with the aim of applying necessary disciplinary action on the officer(s) in line with the provisions of extant rules.” Some of the allegations against the rector by the bursar are listed below. ‘In the last five years, Dr Mrs Ladipo, the Rector of Yabatech, has collected more than N20m for foreign trips and vacations, including estacode of not less than $30,000 without embarking on any of the trips, and without refunding the money.’ ‘Mrs Ladipo has a company named Spicy Nigeria Limited which she manages and uses to execute several jobs while still retaining her job as Yabatech rector.’ ‘The Tenders board headed by Dr Ladipo inflated several contracts awarded for the convocation ceremony held in October 2013. The sum involved is about N35m, out of which N5m was given back as bribe.’ ‘Dr Ladipo collects security vote of N60m per annum, despite the existence of about 150 college security staff, six security companies and payment of honorarium to DSS staff and the police at Sabo, Yaba.’ ‘For a one-day retreat organized for Governing Council members and principal officers of the college in the first week of December 2013, against the express provision of the extant circular for competitive tender, selective tendering was used. Actual expenditure of the retreat was N4.8m but total amount borne by the college was N15m. The difference of about N10m was paid to the rector.’ ‘In gross violation of the extant rules, about 400 new staff, comprising those connected to her and governing council members were employed.’ When OSEYIZA OOGBODO BLOG got in touch with the rector, she didn’t pick her phone and she didn’t respond to the text sent to her on this issue. However, Yabatech’s spokesman, Charles Oni, released a statement in which he claimed that the rector has been cleared of allegations of fraud and corrupt practices and that she has been exonerated by the police and Yabatech’s governing council as well as the Head of Service of the Federation. Oni noted that the media had been awash with claims of corrupt practices against Ladipo by some people. ``The Chairman of the Council, Chief Ebenezer Babatope, dismissed the petitioners’ as `shameless’ and `enemies’ of modern society. ``He expressed surprise at the magnitude of falsehood the petitioners were capable of raking up. ``Every single contract awarded under the rector’s watch went through the due process, and no single member of the Council was in any way rewarded for facilitating her second term. ``She got it purely on the basis of merit and her exceptional achievements in her first tenure,’’ said the Public Relations Officer. According to him, Ladipo, with the support of the governing council, and amid paucity of funds, had been able to consolidate on the achievements. Oni said: “On the N5million security vote, every minute of the day, the college is confronted with one security challenge or the other. ``It is not strange for chief executives to have security vote. Moreover, this was appropriately approved by the college’s governing council which has the statutory authority to do so.’’ ``The petitions were sent to the various government agencies -- the Ministry of Education, EFCC, ICPC, Inspector-General of Police, Chief of Staff to the President, the Head of Service and the Governing Council of the college. ``Interestingly, the reports received so far have given her (the rector) a clean bill of health. ``Babatope set up a five-man committee led by Mr Shehu Kagara to investigate the allegations and came up with a report dated Sept. 13, 2013, and addressed to the Minister of Education. ``The report cleared the rector of the allegations of corrupt practices. ``A letter of acquittal of the rector, dated Sept. 27, 2013, was copied the Registrar and Secretary to the Council. ``The council was satisfied with the findings of the committee that the allegations were spurious and baseless; and a mischief, intended to malign the character of the rector. ``On Dec. 30, 2013, the Ministry of Education, through Mrs Hindatu, Abdullahi, Director, Tertiary Education, also wrote to the rector, saying she is “exonerated of all the allegations as they are baseless and spurious.’’ He said the petitions were also investigated by the IGP’s office which issued a report dated Aug. 27, 2014, and signed by Arungwa Nwazue, ACP (Admin) on behalf of DIG, CID Abuja, and were declared as ``trivial, frivolous, false and lacking in credibility.