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By Gabriel Dike
The Special Fraud Unit (SFU) has written to the vice-chancellor, Ekiti State University (EKSU), Prof. Edward Olanipekun, to release the report of the investigation against the VC, Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Prof. Sunday Fasina.
The SFU wrote to the EKSU VC to make available the outcome of the report that investigated Fasina’s alleged collection of double salary from FUOYE and EKSU as well as other allegations.
The SFU, in its letter to the EKSU VC, dated January 5, 2022, signed by Deputy Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Zango, titled “Police investigation activities: Re-Prof. Sunday Fasina of FUOYE,” read in part: “This unit is investigating alleged offences of fraud, forgery and official corruption against Prof. Sunday Fasina, who is currently the VC of FUOYE and formerly an employee of EKSU.
“The petition against him alleged that when he was in the service of EKSU, he was also in the employment of FUOYE. He was alleged to be receiving salaries and emoluments from both institutions.”
The SFU said, to help the on-going investigation, Olanipekun should confirm the period of Fasina’s services at EKSU, and the last payment made to him, which should include the amount and the month he was last paid in the university.
The unit also asked Olanipekun to confirm when Fasina was disengaged from EKSU as a permanent staff of the university.
“The Nigeria Police shall be grateful for your prompt response and up-to-date information as requested in this letter,” the SFU said.
In his letter to the EKSU VC, dated December 22, 2022, Idowu requested for the certified true copy (CTC) of report of the committee that reviewed the report on petitions against Fasina.
Also, Mr Bayo Idowu, a lawyer, explained that he had earlier demanded the report on August 30, 2021, and, because the management of EKSU did not act on the first letter, he was forced to ask for the report again.
The attorney’s letter read: “We reiterate our earlier demand for the report because we are entitled to it under Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, being a public document.
“While appreciating the decision of the university management to unveil the truth pertaining to this subject matter, we are appealing to the university management to accede to our demand based on FoI Act, as domesticated in Ekiti State, in order not to be accused of engaging in cover-up of important information to the public.”
The legal practitioner warned that he would be compelled to take the matter up at higher levels, if his demand was not met.
Despite Fasina’s media aide denying his collecting double salary, EKSU management, in a letter to him dated May 16th, 2021 signed by the former Registrar, Akin Arogundade confirmed a committee investigated the allegation.
The letter titled: Re-withdrawal of service from Ekiti State University, said the management considered the report submitted to it on the petition against Fasina.
The report reads: “Having established that you did not disengage properly from Ekit State University, you should be made to do so.
You should be compelled to pay six months’ salary in lieu of notice to the university since you may no longer be able to give six months notice. You should also pay to the coffers of the university the September 2017 salaries paid to your UBA account.”
Fasina was told that after the payment, he can process his disengagement and clearance from EKSU, stating “after completing the signing of your clearance formalities, the university would proceed to process your transfer of service to FUOYE.”
“The decisions of management of Ekiti State University, are hereby communicated to you, accordingly,’’ Arogundade stated.
Recalled Prof. Fasina alongside Mrs. Bridget Oyaola and Mr. Sulaiman Olajide Usman, both the university’s acting Director of Works and Chief Internal Auditor respectively, instituted a suit marked FHC/L/CS/684/2021, against the Commissioner of Police (PSFU) and Investigating Police Officer.
They also asked the court to award the cost of N50 million being general, aggravated and exemplary damages against the respondents, jointly or severally for the violation of their fundamental rights.
The SFU in a counter motion stressed that the petition against the applicants is not only in respect of frauds allegedly perpetrated as VC from February 2021, but includes his tenure from 2017, when he was Deputy VC (administration) till February, 2021 when he became the VC. And that Fasina was heading more than 11 committees as DVC from 2017 to February 2021, before he became the VC and these committees deal with contracts and other financial engagements.
The deponent also averred that the VC as the then chairman of TETFund committee of FUOYE allegedly converted to himself and laundered about N13, 864, 925 million, through his son, Fasina Oluwadamilola Tosin, who is a postgraduate student at Sterling University, Scotland.
