Follow Us on Google
From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
The Cross River State government has launched an investigation into the irregular auctioning of assets belonging to the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS).
The illegal sales were allegedly conducted by members of the immediate past Governing Council of the institution. Multiple petitions by concerned individuals accuse the council of violating procurement laws by secretly selling off public properties to themselves.
The illegal sales allegedly took place between May and August 2024 and involved approximately 400 items. The items include eight industrial generators – one of which was a 500KVA generator installed in 2015. Others are vehicles, some which were donated to the institution by the administration of Governor Ben Ayade.
The assets were said to have been sold directly to council members and other insiders, bypassing the legal requirement for public advertisement under the Public Procurement Act.
In auctioning the assets, the school merely issued a notice and circular, raising suspicions of a deliberate attempt to conceal the transactions.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Asset Management and Recovery, Gilbert Agbor, confirmed that a directive was issued on March 19 on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu, demanding an urgent review of the auction.
“The government has requested a full list of all auctioned assets; official approvals and Governing Council resolutions related to the sale, and copies of auctioning guidelines and any public advertisements.
“Others are a list of individuals and entities that acquired the assets; and proof of payments, including account details, total proceeds, and how the funds were managed.”
He added that the government is resolute in ensuring transparency, accountability, and the proper management of public assets and that any breaches of the law will not go unpunished.
