People and students from Ekiti State under the umbrella of Nigerian Youths Coalition (NYC) on Wednesday stormed the Ibadan regional Head office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to protest what they described as “financial misappropriation” at the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), in Ekiti State.
The coalition’s representatives, led by the Coordinator and the Secretary, Comrade Shina Awopeju and Comrade Tetteh Ebenezer, respectively urged the EFCC to investigate financial misappropriation by the Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Kayode Soremilekun.
The protesters in a 5-page petition submitted to the office of the anti-graft agency, itemised various allegations against the Vice Chancellor, Professor Soremilekun.
Offences alleged to have been committed by the VC include: “illegal purchase of Prado jeep at inflated price of N25 million.
“Purchase of two Nigeria-used Toyota Camry (2006 model) at the sum of N5.25million and four Toyota Camry at N10.5million, payment of N40.1million into a bank account belonging to Kodelac Nigeria Limited in Ile-Ife, Osun state without following procurement guidelines of payment.”
The youths also alleged that N19.1million was paid twice for a-2-block laboratory at Ikole campus of the institution.
The youths claimed that “N1.98 million was paid into unknown account operated by the University with a commercial bank for unknown contract.”
The petition also said that a Tokunbo CRV car was purchased at N23.9million for the Governing Council Chairman of the institution.
Addressing journalists shortly after the submission of the petition to EFCC, Awopeju declared that the group comprises of students and youths from Ekiti State.
While dismissing the insinuation that the group was being used by some group of people to fight the Vice chancellor of the institution, Awopeju informed journalists that “the move was in support for the anti-corruption crusade of the federal government.”
But the Vice Chancellor, Professor Kayode Soremilekun while responding to the allegations, said it was all lies.
Soremilekun in a telephone conversation with journalists said “It is all lies. We are under investigation by the EFCC and the ICPC already. If they have good intention, why going that far?
“It was handwork of one of the principal officers of the institution who was suspended. The petition has been flying around for sometime now.”