BY : DELE AJANI
As the investigation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over an alleged misappropriation of funds at the Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State is being intensified, National Monitor authoritatively learnt that the four principal officers of the institution who are currently being investigated over the matter have become jittery and are running from pillar to post to make sure the investigation is resolved without being implicated.
The four principal officers, the registrar, Mr Sule Atiku; the Bursar, Mr Mathew Adejuwon ; the Deputy Rector, Mr Olorunwa Lawson and the Auditor, Mr D.A. Ajayi it was gathered have been visiting EFCC in the past weeks and National Monitor further gathered that from the evidence before the anti graft agency, the four principal officers have realised that they might have been in for a tough time.
” They have been lobbying government officials, traditional rulers and other notable individuals in the state to help them halt the investigation because they know they have a bad case”, a source informed National Monitor.
This development is coming on the heels of a release issued by a group which styled itself ” Owo Progressive Forum” stating that the principal officers of the school currently undergoing trial should be suspended until after investigation.
According to the release which was signed by Olumodun Kayode, ” the principal officers
should be under suspension while the investigation lasted .
” Their continue being in office will make the school’s resources available to them to offset cost of logistics including the travels and hotel expenses while the investigation lasted. This is not right and the right thing to do is to place them on suspension. That is the standard practice in any sane clime”.
” The Independent Corrupt and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC has even recommended the suspension of public officers under investigation and we also so demanded”, the Forum said in the release.
The group further said if the principal officers are found guilty by the EFCC, the penalty should be upon the principal officers and not on the institution.
The four principal officers of the institution are said to have been under investigation allegedly for not following due process in the purchase of cars for the principal officers of the institution.
It was gathered that a group petitioned the EFCC, that the principal officers of the institution allegedly purchased the cars at the cost of N68m without following due process.
They were also alleged to have transferred N28m to the Chairman of the Governing Council of the institution for purchase of his own official car also without following due process.
However in an earlier interview with National Monitor, the Chairman, Governing Council of the Institution, Chief Banji Alabi maintained that the due process was followed in the purchase of vehicles for the principal officers.
