UPDATE ON EMBEZZLED #412MILLION OSUN STATE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION ILA FUND, AS GOVERNING COUNCIL CHAIRMAN MOVES TO COVER ALLEGED CULPRIT ......... OPINION

Sometime ago when I wrote about Dr George Yinka Owolabi and his "fraudulent" activities in the administration of the Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun, some felt I was being overzealous and rancorous, but unfolding events have justified my position and why the government should always consider people of impeccable characters to occupy positions of trust in the interest of the public.

It is a known fact that Governing Council of any institution is the highest policy making body in such institution, and as such, the body is expected to be composed of people of proven integrity who would be fair and transparent in the discharge of their duties. This integrity is exactly what is lacking in the personality and disposition of this individual. Little wonder he was removed in 2009 as the Chairman of Governing Council of the same institution by Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola after he was caught red-handed to have falsified the report of the interview conducted for the post of the Provost of the College! 

The same scenario played out in the appointment of a Substantive Registrar for the College as held on Thursday, 28th April, 2022 where the sitting Acting Registrar, in person of one Mr. Segun Ajiboye was unanimously adjudged to have led the interview with a very wide margin by the consultants and all members of the panel. However, the Chairman of the Governing Council, in his usual characteristic of falsifying records and grades submitted a different report to His Excellency, Mr Isiaka Oyetola (without the knowledge of other council members) in favour of his own candidate who came 4th at the interview and who, incidentally is an in-law to Dr Faniran who was the consultant at the interview, thereby misleading the Governor in approving the name of one Abiodun Soji Odetunde, who took the 4th position as the substantive Registrar of the College. What an Injustice! Why is this personality always getting involved in falsification and fraudulent activities? 

The case of embezzlement to the tune of #412m at the Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun, involving Rasheed Olanrewaju Oyedeji, the Bursar of the College, is in the public domain, but as usual of him, Dr George Yinka Owolabi is sweeping the matter under the carpet once again by fraudulently exonerating the alleged culprit in a kangaroo investigation report which he submitted to the Auditor General's office! Where does Yinka Owolabi derived such powers to upturn the findings of the Auditor General and Is this not an abuse of office and powers? 

The conduct of Dr Owolabi is not only suspicious, but suggestive of the fact that he is acting out a script in a desperate bid to shield Rasheed Olanrewaju Oyedeji from financial misconduct and misappropriation. Has Dr Owolabi asked himself why the Bursar was comfortable releasing some financial documents to him (Chairman) instead of the Auditor General's office who requested for those documents? The answer is obvious. 

Kudos to the Auditor General who has refused to be intimidated and distracted. It is important for Dr Owolabi to be conversant with the laws of the land, especially as such affects the office of the Auditor General in Section 125 (4,6) stating that the Auditor-General of the state is autonomous and have ample power to exercise the duties of his office and shall not be subjected to the direction or control of any other authority or person. 

One wonders why the Governor of the state is silent on this matter of embezzlement of a whooping sum of #412 million in spite public outcries! The answer may not be far fetched anyway. A large chunk of this money was embezzled during the tenure of Mr Niyi Akande as the Governing Council Chairman of the same institution. This is the more reason why records on Agriculture investment, FADAMA grants and many others were not made available to the Auditor General's office as requested. And we should not forget that Mr Niyi Akande is the immediate younger brother of the former Governor of the state, Baba Bisi Akande, and the Bursar is his adopted son, deliberately planted in the College to perpetrate frauds, in spite his incompetence to occupy the post ab initio! This is why His Excellency is maintaining an "un-golden" silence because the Akandes is too big a family to be governed by the Governor of the state.

The Governing Council of the College had no such powers to conduct investigation into the findings of the office of the Auditor General! The onus lies on the Auditor General's office, therefore, to exercise the powers conferred on the office by the constitution and refer this case of embezzlement to the appropriate agency of government for further necessary action.

One can easily conclude that Dr George Yinka Owolabi is a refractory and recalcitrant Personality. Very soon a king who knew not joseph will emerge.

Bashorun Adekanola Desmond

Writes from Ilie, Olorunda LG