•Staff sent on compulsory leave lobby to avert sanction
By Gabriel Dike
A panel constituted by the Governing Council of Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education (AOCOED), Ijanikin, Lagos, to investigate the finances of the institution has uncovered how the previous management purchased one portrait of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode for N900,000.
Chairman of AOCOED Governing Council, Prof. Tunde Samuel, who disclosed this to Daily Sun said the purchase was discovered by the panel and confirmed by the Implementation Committee as well as forensic experts invited from the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo to examine the financial record of the college.
Shedding more light on the purchase of a portrait of Governor Ambode for N900, 000, Samuel said on interrogation, the Senior Assistant Registrar (SAR), Mojeed Babatunde, told the panel that the portrait was bought for the amount and that approval was given by the former provost, Wasiu Bashorun.
“The Ambode portrait, the SAR claimed he purchased for N900,000, I can buy under Ikeja Bridge for N2,000 or less. The SAR said he acted on the instruction of the college management,’’ he said.
It was gathered that after the panel headed by Alhaji G.C Lawal completed its assignment, the council constituted an Implementation Committee headed by Dr. Olatunji to examine the report and also invited two forensic audit experts from LASU to analyse the findings.
Daily Sun called the former personal assistant to the Provost, Mr. Babatunde, who was reportedly directed to purchase Ambode’s portrait for N900, 000. Babtunde responded but dropped the call immediately he was asked about the Ambode’s portrait purchase.
Several calls thereafter to his phone did not connect as well.
Babatunde is among seven AOCOED staff queried and sent on compulsory leave by the governing council.
Similarly, when Bashorun was called for his reaction, he complained of noise at his end and promised to call back.
After several hours of waiting, Daily Sun sent a text message to him stating the reason for the inquiry and at the time of filing this report, he was yet to respond to the issue raised. He was also among staff queried by the council.
A Lagos lawyer, Mr. Tunde Ajibade, commended the AOCOED governing council for the investigation into the finances of the college.
He said the shocking revelations were not unexpected since the unions raised the alarm some years ago.
The lawyer urged the governing council not to sweep the findings under the carpet but ensure that those indicted in the panel’s report are made to face the music.
In a related development, Daily Sun learnt that the seven senior AOCOED members of staff sent on compulsory leave as a result of the panel’s report have reached out to prominent Lagosians to intervene on their behalf.