Morakinyo Photo: The Sun Publishing

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The Osun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain at the centre of the crisis rocking the chairmanship stool of the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Chief Abiola Morakinyo, has finally opened on how the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) initially got the Federal Government to replace him as the Pro-Chancellor of the institution because they claimed he was not a degree holder.

The Chartered Accountant and former Commissioner of Finance in the old Oyo State under Chief Bola Ige in an interview with Daily Sun disclosed how Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola of Osun State and the Minister of Youth Development, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi with relevant documents stormed the office of the Secretary to the Federal Government,Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, to prove that he was qualified to chair the governing council of OAU, contrary to the claim of the academic staff.

He described, some of the members of ASUU–OAU as blackmailers, faulted the allegation that he demanded N6million for medical treatment abroad, request for eight cars, increase in council sitting allowance, plans to re-organize the university tender board, that he was not knowledgeable to be council chairman, insisted that the Constitution of the country is superior to the Universities Miscellaneous Act 2003 and based on the facts before the SFG, he was convinced thus his appointment was reaffirmed.

On the major bone of contention, Morakinyo told Daily Sun that there is no where in the 2003 law being cited by ASUU that it was stated that chairman of governing council of any university must be a degree holder pointing out with over 40 years experience in both public and private sector, he was more than qualified. He also noted that, in fact, the Constitution recognises school cert as qualification for any political office, thus he was over qualified to lead the governing council of OAU which prompted the Secretary to the Federal Government to restate him and was not bothered by the petitions sent to the Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu but was now focused to make the university great.

Except
Sir, ASUU says you are not qualified to chair the OAU governing council, what are your reactions?
What did they say is the basic qualification for would be Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Governing Council, the OAU can not be an Island onto itself. By way of rumour, I understand that ASUU said there is a law enacted in 2003 (Universities 2003 Act) which stipulate that whoever will be Pro-Chancellor should be an academician. That is there own law and they can not be Island on to themselves. In responding to these allegations because of the respect I have for intelligentsia, if these had come from mediocre or those who are half-baked educationally, I wouldn’t have responded. There is a Faculty of Law in OAU and the faculty is so honorable that I accepted the conferment of honorary award about 20 years ago. Even a man on the street knows that the Constitution of Nigeria takes precedent over any law and the Constitution that before one becomes even President, one must have school certificate which is the minimum qualification. I got my school certificate in 1960, 48 years ago before these ‘miscreants’ were born, I have been on this issue since May 15.

It took the Governor of Osun State, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, Minister of Youth Development, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi and I to appear before the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed on Monday, May 15 where I showed my credentials. The credentials that I showed that I am qualified school certificate obtained in 1960, qualified as an Accountant in 1965, became Chartered Accountant 1968 and got to the peak of my profession, that is the Fellowship of ICAN in 1981, 27 years ago. But the “blackmailers” and I will at this stage call them blackmailers, it can’t be the whole ASUU, it should be the black legs among ASUU that are championing the matter.

How do you react to the insinuation that you are not competent and knowledgeable to be council chairman of OAU. Are you a better material for the post?
I was Commissioner for Finance old Oyo State under the governorship of Chief Bola Ige for four years and I was adjudged by the press as the best Finance Commissioner in this country between 1979 to 1983, all these we had to prove at the office of the SFG who was fully of apology for been miss led to have said everything which led to my purported removal. Most of these people were not born at that time and those who were born then were in primary school, because if one happens to be in secondary school by that time, they will know my capability. What is in university administration, I am one of the best trained administrators in this country because I belong to one of the noblest profession on administration and that is Chartered Accountant, so they have no right to say what they have said.

Since your appointment on January 9, 2009 as governing council chairman, did you request for N6million for medical treatment abroad?
From who was the demand of N6million made, to who was the demand paid, when the demand was made. You see if a man on the street makes this type of loss statement, one would have forgiven such a person but for ASUU of OAU, great Ife, whoever made raise such allegation is a disgrace to the university. The records are there in the Bursary Department, the VC is there. Who did I asked the money from and what they said is wrong with me that I want to check. I travelled last more than 15 years ago because decided not to look at for anything in broad since 1995. Where did they get the information from? When you are a blackmailer every act needs to be study and every act needs perfection. A blackmailer would have done his own work and would have confronted the person. I know your experience, if anybody makes this type of allegation, you will have them to show you the evidence. Where they able to show you anything, they must be bloody lies.

How do you react to the allegation against you that you intend to reorganize the OAU Tender Board to include your cronies for award of contract, to favour your interest?
Again, an illiterate person can say must say anything like that. There is the Procurement Act passed in 2007 which spelt out the composition of membership of the Tender Board. If the members of the governing council, we don’t have anything to do with award of contract, we don’t belong to the tender board. I don’t belong to the tender board so also is the case with other Pro-Chancellors, so whoever is saying this is shallow minded.

Sir, did you double or increase sitting allowance for OAU council members as alleged?
How much was the allowance per sitting and to how much did I jack it up? Where is the evidence that anybody has collected such allowance? One thing that surprise me, when you talk of ASUU and the composition of the governing council, membership, two representatives of the congregation and inclusion of their members is to inform the body that sent them because we have representation from six or seven sources, external members we are five, university management that is the Vice Chancellor, two Deputy VCs and the Registrar making it four. Representatives of the Congregation are two, representative of Alumni Association, one; Senate has four representatives and a representative of Minister of Education.

It is their duty to explain what goes on in the council otherwise their inclusion in the governing council makes no sense and the government in its wisdom thought they should be included. And if they are doing their work, this sort of blackmail wouldn’t have arisen. Because I understand that the VC was interrogated by ICPC and EFCC on all these things. People should ask forgiven and I don’t know what amount to which I jack the allowance up and I don’t what gives me power to jack it up and I don’t know where all these things are emanating from but I am getting some ideas of the source.

We learnt Governor Oyinlola forced you on the FG to reaffirm your appointment, how true is this insinuation?
I am qualified in all ramification, what has Governor Oyinlola got to do imposing me on the federal government as the OAU governing council chairman. Yes, he nominated me for the appointment because OAU is zoned for board appointment to the South West. There were about 120 board positions zoned to the South West and the party its wisdom decided to share out these positions to the six states in the zone and OAU happens to fall into Osun State slots. And it is the leader of the party that makes nomination, Governor Oyinlola nominated me, after satisfying himself that I was qualified, he is the only one who can remove me, nobody else. So the insinuation that he is planting me there is to determine who the next become VC is wrong, what has Governor Oyinlola got to do with the next VC, the present VC has just spend two and half years, he has the opportunity for a second term. So what is Oyinlola’s interest in who becomes OAU VC. Vice Chancellor is not a political appointment, Pro-Chancellor is a political appointment, so you see illiterate, then this people are pack of illiterate. The VC is professional and Pro-Chancellor is political, so I think you will help me to educate them.

Did you request for 8 cars to be attached to you and you were given 4 vehicles?
To whom did I make the request, have they gone to the VC to ask if I made such a request and when they say he gave me four cars which made? They have forgotten that the government we are serving follows rule of law, from the day we were swear in, on February 10 and the meeting we had with the minister of education recently, it was clearly stated that our appointment is part and that we are not allowed to retain car except when we are on official assignment. As a person, I have five personal cars, what will I want OAU cars for? The official assigned to me is Camry and I have Camry, I have Jeep Infinite and Mercedez Benz and there is no day since I assumed office that I have used OAU car for a minute longer when I am on official duty, it has never slept in our house.

ASUU says you are not competent, how true is this assertion?
They are afraid of what I am going to do and when things start to unfold themselves, they will know who Chief Abiola Morakinyo is, and then they will be openly exposed. But let them keep going on with their investigations, they can never find one thing against me. When I was appointed commissioner on October 9, 1979, all us were taken to Papa Awolowo on October 16 to bless us. One thing Papa said that day was what guided me as the Commissioner for Finance and I am going to introduce the same thing here. He said “You my sons, it is true that they say Executive Council Chambers is place were secret decisions are made. He said for your philosophy take it that whatever you can say at Dugbe Market, doing say it within the four walls of the Executive Council Chambers. Whatever you can do not at Liberty Stadium, don’t do it within the four walls of the Exco Chambers”. That is what has guided my political life up till day, After my first outing as Commissioner for Finance from 1979 to 83, my second outing is just now appointment as council (chairman), 26 years after. When the things I put in place during my tenure as Commissioner for Finance had to be adopted by all the states of the federation 30 years later.

Aside ASUU, the alumni association of OAU is also in the vanguard for your removal on the same ground, sir could they be right?
When we were to be sworn in on February 10,2009, all the papers carried my opposition from the alumni association signed by the national president Mr. Wale Olaoye. In their own case, the association said it relay own their law that says only academician can become Pro-Chancellor. They went a step further that is why I have tremendous respect for them, they said they acknowledged the competent of Chief Abiola Morakinyo, especially when he was Commissioner for Finance under Chief Bola Ige and that they were only doing what they did because they were relaying on their Act. When we had the first council meeting, I made my statement that what expected of them was for them to set a standard of achievements for me to attain. Thereafter the VC brought the Mr. Wale Olaye to me at the Pro-Chancellor’s lodge to apology and I have forgiven him and the entire members of the alumni association.

Are you aware of another petition to the education minister over the reaffirmation of your appointment?
Let 1,000 petitions be written and submitted, it will not change anything. When petitions are sent, it is meant to be investigated. That was what the federal government did not do at first before my purported removal, they apology very seriously to me and to the Governor of Osun State for not following due process. They are apostle of due process, so let them go and submit 1,000 petitions, it is only if I am guilty of any of things they alleging that I will be bothered and I won’t loss a sleep over it.

What are your priorities for OAU?
The first speech I made to council was that Chief Bola Ige taught us that if you are in a position and you don’t make an indelible mark, then you’re a failure, not only to yourself but to your family. All I told them was I won’t be a failure. Let them wait and see, I will not be a failure. I want ASUU to exhaust its entire arsenal.

Was the recent council meeting called off because of ASUU and alumni association opposition to your being chairman?
The council meeting was not hurriedly shifted, the governing council is under the supervision of the education minister, and whatever he says is government stand. Because the minister saw the nonsense ASUU is doing, then he said for the time being let us hold on meetings. ASUU is dragging the clock of the university backward and posterity will not forgive them. Before everybody had tremendous respect for ASUU and I in particular but not so now.