Osun College fraud: Panel begins sitting behind closed door

• bars parties from further media appearances

From Lateef Dada, Osogbo

The panel set up by Governor Ademola Adeleke to look into the financial impropriety rocking the Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun, said it has begun sitting behind closed doors.

Efforts to get the sitting of the panel proved abortive. But the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, who is a member of the panel, told our correspondent that the panel sat behind closed doors.

He said, “We have started sitting. We are still on our investigation. We’re conducting our sittings behind closed doors,” Igbalaye said.

The panel headed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Kazeem Akinleye, had warned the parties involved to stop further media appearances on the issue pending the conclusion of its assignment.

A statement by the spokesperson to the governor, Olawale Rasheed, stated that the Chief of Staff, SSG, and Commissioner for Education, Dipo Eluwole, would serve on the panel.

The panel observed that aside from the undue personal attacks that the media appearance has so far generated, the Government is concerned about the damage to the integrity and reputation of the college.

The college had been enmeshed in financial impropriety where over N200 million was allegedly squandered by the Governing council headed by Peter Babalola.

The chairman of the council, Babalola, had ordered the suspension of the Provost of the college, Prof Jimoh Atanda, for allegedly concealing official documents and other allegations.