- Congress to take decision on report-chairman
By Gabriel Dike
The Facts Finding and Reconciliation Committee step up by the congress of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) University of Lagos (UNILAG) branch has uncovered financial irregularities in SSANU UNILAG land account and the Contributory Welfare Scheme bank account.
The 25-page report of the five-man committee headed by Mr. A .Sanya (International School) discovered a number of financial discrepancies concerning both SSANU- UNILAG land account and the welfare scheme bank account.
According to the report, there was N5million discrepancy between the alleged N19million left in the SSANU UNILAG land account by the former exco and the N14million met in the land account by the present leadership of the union.
Aside the land account, the facts finding committee recommended a proper audit of all finances both income and expenditure of SSANU-UNILAG on N2.7million spent by the past administration to clear acquired land, N8million use by the present exco on the same clearing of land and N3million spent on the 2015 SSANU get-together party.
The committee also discovered that important provisions of the Constitution of SSANU were flagrantly breached by the current SSANU exco and that no cooperation as well as team work existed amongst the executive.
‘’That some of the present executive members were found pursuing personal interest at the expense of the general interests of SSANU. For instance, it was observed that a questionable policy of ‘stomach infrastructure’ was adopted in awarding contracts to some of the present exco of SSANU- UNILAG’’, the committee noted in page 23 of it report.
Our Correspondent spoke to former SSANU-UNILAG chairman, Prince J.O. Adefolau who confirmed that the Sanya-led committee has finished it assignment and the report was handed over to the exco two weeks ago.
He appealed to the current exco to call congress to deliberate on the recommendations of the committee and also set up an audit committee as recommended by the facts finding panel to look at the financial aspect of the report.
Said he: ‘’They did not find anybody guilty. By their terms of reference, they are not supposed to find anybody guilty. This is another way of fighting corruption. If a union can take this step, it means corruption is in trouble’’.
SSANU-UNILAG chairman, Mr. Adekola Adetomiwa, who confirmed receipt of the facts finding committee report, said at the appropriate time, congress would be summoned soon to deliberate on the report.
On audit as recommended by the committee, the current SSANU-UNILAG boss said he can not discuss the issue further until congress takes a decision.
The chairman of the facts finding committee, Mr. Sanya told our Correspondent that those concerned have received copies of the report and were given two weeks to make inputs on the report.