Allegations of financial fraud, amounting to the tune of over three million Naira, have been preferred against designated incumbent officers of the Post Graduate Students’ Government of the University of Calabar (PGSG-UNICAL) NEGROIDHAVEN can report.
A suspended member of the PGSG Senate, namely, Iorhen Moses Anongu and and a member of PGSG UNICAL, Michael Attah, respectfully of the Departments of Philosophy, and Educational Management, who hitherto and respectfully represented/lead UNICAL post graduate students of the Faculties of Arts, and Education have alleged that over N3 million Naira of PGSG finance has been misappropriated by the duly elected and sworn-in president of PGSG, Comr. Usani Joseph Offem, and six other suspected accomplices.
Anongu and Attah, according to a leaked legal brief cited by our correspondent, are calling for full investigation to determine the truth about their claims: ‘the above named
Petitioners hereby call for urgent investigation into the allegations of Budget Padding, Abuse of Office, Financial Misappropriation of over ₦3 Million Meant for Renovation/(Re)Furnishing and Maintenance of Male and Female Post Graduate Common Lounges, Criminal Breach of Trust and total disregard for the Constitution of PGSG brought against the Executive President, Comr. Ofem, Usani Joseph (1st Respondent), the Financial Secretary, Comr. Sabastian Lebo (2nd Respondent), the Director of Socials Comr. Etoma Moses (3rd Respondent), and the Secretary General, Comr. Ekowu Chiedozie (4
th Respondent). Other respondents include the Chairman, Budget, Finance and Appropriation, Senator Ewa Sampson (5th Respondent), the 8th Senate, PGSG (6th Respondent), and the Students’ Welfare Board, University of Calabar (7th Respondent).’
Things began to come to the fore when Anongu, as incumbent senator representing PG students of the Faculty of Arts at PGSG Senate, formally requested the Financial Secretary of PGSG, Comr Lebo Sebastian E. to supply photocopies of financial records of PGSG but, was denied the information and subsequently and summarily suspended by the Elemi Alaga-led 8th Senate of PGSG.
Anongu disclosed that, ‘the request was basically to enable me obtain first-hand information concerning allegations of misappropriation, duplication and over-estimation of some budgetary items, and other perceived irregularities in some quarters of the Union brought against the Executive President and Financial Secretary of PGSG.
Continuing, Anongu noted that ‘The documents I requested for include:
the certified copy of PGSG Budget (₦17,287,672.50), the certified copy of PGSG take-off grant (₦ 2,556,200), the certified copies of Budget for the renovation/ (refurnishing) and maintenance of Male and Female Post Graduate Lounges including all the receipts of items procured for the same purpose. But due to perceived “inadequate” constitutional understanding, unbalanced
wisdom, transparency and accountability, as well as the overzealous presidential ambition of the Financial Secretary in the forthcoming Post Graduate Students’ Government General Election, Lebo Sebastian E. petitioned Anongu to the PGSG Senate (who hurriedly suspended the 1st Petitioner from the 6th Respondent) requesting for constitutional clarification/approval’.
Our correspondent garnered that on 1st February this year, the duo of Anongu and Attah proceeded on petitioning on twelve grounds the suspicion of graft in PGSG under Comr. Usani Joseph Offem at the PGSG Judiciary. An excerpt of the 12 premises suggests that they are challenging budget padding, misappropriation of students, embezzlement: ‘That on page 2 and 3 of the PGSG Budget, (A Copy of the said Budget is hereby annexed), the 1st, 2nd, 5th alongside the President of the 6th Respondents have
reinserted (padded) items 6 (ALLOWANCE, EXIGENCIES AND OTHER EXPENSES), vi(c) (ID Cards/Holders for 10 Union Executives), and vi(b) (ID Cards/Holders for 21 Union Senators) at ₦15,000 and ₦31,500 which are found to have been approved and provided for by the University Management through the Bursar at same cost. See items No.4 (c) and No.5 (b) on the Union’s take-off grant list
for clarity. (A copy of the said take-off grant is hereby annexed)
2. Also, on page 4 of the PGSG Budget, the 1st, 2nd and 5th Respondents have reinserted (padded) items 3 (FURNISHING OF EXECUTIVE LODGES), ii (buying and installation of Gotv for Presidential lodge) at ₦10, 000.00; iii (six chairs for the President and VP lodge) at ₦60, 000.00; v (purchase and fixing of DVD wall stand for President lodge) at ₦7,500.00 which are found to have been approved and
provided for by the University Management through the Bursar at ₦37, 000.00, ₦25, 000.00 and ₦108, 000.00 respectively. See items No.4 (d), 11(2), 11(3) on the Union’s take-off grant list for clarity.
3. Notwithstanding, the 1st, 2nd and 5th Respondents reinserted (padded) some items that are found to have been captured in Pius Akpos’s ₦1.5million request meant for the renovation/(re)furnishing of the Male Post Graduate Common Lounge and other maintenance. This said amount has been approved and made available to PGSG administration led by the 1st Respondent by the University Management through the
Bursar.
‘4. In addition, on page 6 of the PGSG Budget, the 1st, 2nd, and 5th Respondents have reinserted (padded) item 9 (OFFICE OF THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY), iii (preparation of Budget for 10 EXCOS and 21 Senators) at ₦24, 000.00 which is found to have been approved and provided for by the University Management through the Bursar at ₦20, 000.00. See items No.4 (e) on the Union’s take-off grant list for confirmation.
5. Besides, the Petitioners have it on voiced records that from October 2019-December 2020, the government of PGSG led by the 1st Respondent withdrew over ₦800,000.00
from the Account of PGSG with Heritage Bank. This money was meant for the production of Post Graduate Students’ Identity Cards, a project initiated by the previous administration led by Comr. Akpo Pius. Unfortunately, the 1st and 2nd Respondents brazenly misappropriated this money to achieve their selfish interests without adequate explanation to Post Graduate Students who paid for it. So, when the 1st Petitioner got to know of this withdrawal he questioned the 1st Respondent in a joint meeting with all Arms of the PGSG called by the 1st Respondent, but the explanation he got was not clear…
‘6. Again, the Petitioners have it on record that between the months of November, 2019-December 2019, the University Management through the Bursar released the sum of
₦1, 156,000.00 to the current Post Graduate Students’ Government led by the 1stRespondent. This money was part of the outstanding financial requests from Pius Akpo’s led administration. It was meant
solely for the furnishing of Female Post Graduate Common Lounge. However, the utilization of this money fall far below the quality of jobs it was meant to have achieved. For instance, the quality and quantity of chairs procured for Female Post Graduate Common Lounge fall far below the initial specifications thereby triggering the Petitioners’ quest for urgent investigation.
7. Also, the Petitioners have it on record that within the month of November, 2020, the University Management through the Bursar released the Sum of ₦1,708, 000.00
(alongside other allowances) to the current PGSG administration led by the 1stRespondent under the following headings:
a. Administrative expenses (maintenance of hostel facilities, entertainment of guest at the presidential lodge, hosting of Congresses, etc. (₦300, 000.00)
b. Exigencies (Constitutional responsibility to 19 married PG Students, burials, and other social functions (₦500,000.00)
c. Allowances for 40 executive and legislative aids (₦200,000.00)
d. Social nights (every last Friday of the month for the months of October-February [2020]) at ₦100, 000.00*5= ₦500, 000.00
e. Weekly fitness (PG weekly jogging) at ₦12,000.00*20 for October-February
[2020] ₦60,000.00?
f. Subscription of DSTV for the Male hostel for 8 Months February-September, 2020 at ₦18,500.00*8 = ₦148,000.00. See items (C) of the attached list of
Executive Allowances from October, 2019- February, 2020 for confirmation.
There is a difficulty with the Petitioners to believe how some of these monies
were adequately and transparently put into use when public universities nationwide, including the University of Calabar and its facilities were on “total” lockdown for almost 9 Months due to the pro-longed ASUU Strike, and the outbreak of Covid-19 pandemicacross the country hence the need for urgent investigation. Anungo and Attah best represented their difficulty when they observed accordingly: “The critical question is ‘if the current administration led by the 1st Respondent had requested for some of these items in the Union’s take-off grant and received same from the University Management, and if same items were provided for in Pius Akpo’s ₦1.5 million request, why should similar items be reinserted (padded) into the current PGSG Budget?”
