From Mokolade Michael
The management of Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun has faulted the audit report recently released by the state Auditor General, Mr Folorunso Adesina, on the finances of the institution, describing the report as bias, unethical and unprofessional.
To this end, the institution has called on the state government and the state House of Assembly to institute a panel of inquiry to probe the activities of the state Auditor General.
The institution noted that the audit report fell short of best international standard and should therefore be discountenanced as it was based on mere vendetta and attempt to blackmail some principal officers of the institution.
In a comprehensive report, dated January 5, 2022, and addressed to the state Commissioner for Education, Mr Oladoyin Folorunso, copy of which was sighted by our correspondent, the college alleged the state Auditor General of attempt to blackmail the institution through frivolous means.
The document signed by the Provost of the institution, Prof. Jimoh Afolabi queried the basis for the Auditor General’s report which he said was dubious and disruptive aimed at pulling down a particular senior officer of the college because of his stance against corruption and illegalities allegedly perpetrated by some staff of the college in the past.
Specifically, the institution alleged that the Auditor General collaborated with the former Director of Works of the institution, Engr Olatokunbo Ogungbemi who was alleged of dubious and fraudulent acts in the discharge of his duties, especially award of contracts facilitated by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND).
It was gathered that the salary of Engr Ogungbemi was being deducted by the authorities of the institution, having been found guilty of alleged misappropriation of funds, but the State Auditor General made attempts to intervene on the matter without headway.
It was learnt that the office of the Auditor General had initially faulted the way and manner Ogungbemi handled the institution’s projects, especially execution of projects, but later made attempts to give him soft landing, a situation that did not go down well with some principal officers of the college, who insisted that the deduction of Ogungbemi’s salary should continue.
The institution queried the Auditor General’s decision to review projects executed by Engr Ogungbemi after he had earlier been found wanting by his office, just as it asked the Auditor General his interest in projects executed by Ogungbemi.
Also, the institution alleged the Auditor General of making attempt to influence the payment of salary meant for a substantive Registrar to be paid to the Acting Registrar of the college, Mr Segun Ajiboye as he allegedly invited the Bursar of the college, Dr Olanrewaju Oyedeji to his office and directed him to pay the Acting Registrar a higher salary but the management of the institution declined after tabling the issue before the state Ministry of Education, which is the supervisory Ministry for the institution.
This, the institution alleged was as a result of alleged financial inducement by the acting Registrar to the Auditor General.
The institution berated the activities of the state Auditor General and challenged his decision to fix the salary of principal officers of the college, asking where he derived the powers to fix the salary of principal officers of the college.
It was learnt that the recent audit report released by the office of the Auditor General was aimed at indicting the college for the failure to dance to his (Auditor General) tune, having realized that the Acting Registrar and the Auditor General have close relationship.
The college management lamented that “the Auditor General has become so untouchable in the state to the level that he has become a satanic tax collector, demanding for bribes, writing conflicting and implicating reports without any check. Many staff of the college have different types of promotion letters as a result of conflicting orders from the Auditor General’s Office.”
The institution declared that it has a clean bill and its financial records are up to date having been cleared and given clean bill by an external auditor made up of chartered accountants duly nominated in accordance with extant laws and global general practice of auditing, adding that the college audit report till last year had been duly prepared in accordance with extant laws.
The institution expressed worry on why the Auditor General was involved in the internal posting of its staff, just as it bemoaned the interest of the Auditor General in the assets of the college, especially vehicles as he had allegedly complained about vehicles found on the campus of the institution.
The institution specifically alleged the Auditor General of persecuting the Bursar of the institution, Dr Oyedeji due to his zero tolerance for corruption, stressing that the Bursar has cleaned all financial recklessness in the institution since his assumption of office in August 2016 and some officers who are not comfortable with his anti corruption stand are waging war against him.
