Crisis Rocks Ondo University As Deputy Vice Chancellor Petitions Police Over Threat To Life By Bursar, Exposes Financial Fraud

Prof. Adolphus Odogun Loto, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Administration and Clinical Services at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo City, Ondo State, has accused the institution's Bursar, Muritala Steve Shittu, of alleged assault, battery, and threats to life.

Lotto in a petition to the Commissioner of Police said the incident occurred on February 15 at about 9am inside the council chambers of the University.

He alleged that his life was not safe whenever he had physical contact with Shittu, asking the police to investigate the matter.

“Our client briefed us that specifically on the 15th day of February, 2024 at about 0900 hours; he walked into the council chambers of the University of Unimed, Ondo City for a scheduled 21st statutory meeting of the Governing Council of the University to discuss crucial issues related to the university including the petition which our client wrote against the University's vice chancellor - Professor Adesegun Olayiwola Fatusi, the University Bursar - Mr. Muritala Steve Oluwanife Shittu and the University Registrar - Dr. Woleola J. Ekundayo in respect of procurement law violation,” Lotto said in the petition written by his lawyer, Dara Akinbo.

“According to our client as he got to the chambers to have a sit, Mr. Muritala Steve Oluwanife Shittu rushed at him, assaulted him twice with violent elbow contact. Still believing that it was done in error; Mr. Muritala Steve Oluwanife Shittu told our client that he meant to do it.

“Our client briefed us that he controlled his emotion to avoid engaging in physical combat with Mr. Muritala Steve Oluwanife Shittu which might have funny at the resulted into ugly situation till other members of the council arrived.

“Again, it must be registered that our client phone had been subjected to incessant anonymous calls of threat to our client's life. Our client equally informed us that the chairman of the council strongly warned Mr. Muritala Steve Oluwanife Shittu against future occurrence and same subject matter was discussed under the A.O.B. of the statutory meeting.

“Our client finally briefed us that Mr. Muritala Steve Oluwanife Shittu has been threatening his life that his life is not safe whenever he had physical contact with him. Sir, we are urging you to use your good offices to investigate this heinous crime as our client's life is not safe with the threat of Mr. Muritala Steve Oluwanife Shittu.”

When contacted by SaharaReporters, Shittu denied the allegations.

He said, “It's an unfounded allegation that I assaulted him. How, Did he tell you I hit him? No. I didn't. We were having a board/council meeting and he came in and claimed I passed by his side and my body touched him. Did I hold or punch him?

“Does that amount to an assault, why would he want to cook up things against me? The old man is just too funny or is that not funny?”

Meanwhile, SaharaReporters learnt that Professor Lotto had earlier petitioned the Governing Council of the institution to investigate the Vice Chancellor, Professor Adesegun Olayiwola and Shittu over alleged financial mismanagement.

Part of the petition read, “Under the watch of Mr. VC, two Toyota sienna were fraudulently purchased at inflated prices without adhering to the principle of due process. The main pillars of procurement processes include: value for money, accountability and competitiveness in accordance to the public procurement act of 2007 as amended. It should be noted that the university ought to be maintaining and sustaining an efficient procurement system that will meet the international standard practices.

“Obviously, it is not out of place for the university to adopt a public procurement process that guarantees transparency, efficiency, competitiveness, integrity and value for money to support results-oriented growth and development within the university. The evidence of this procurement fraud is in the hands of all council members without them knowing or taking cognizance of the cover-up.

“An important strategy to cover up wrongs by the trio of Mr. VC, Bursar and Registrar is to delay the submission of papers, to be discussed in the council, to the members of the council so that they (the council members) will not have enough time to peruse the papers thoroughly. More expositions at the appropriate time!!!;

“Under the watch of Mr. VC, the Procurement Department has been turned into a “cash and carry” system or “purchasing and supply” system where accountability, transparency and competitiveness are at their lowest ebbs. The aforementioned “cash and carry” system is the default method of purchasing which has since been abolished by the introduction of the public  procurement Act 2007 as amended.  Miss Kashope Boyle who the VC brought into the system without any previous procurement experience is being used to perpetrate and perfect their procurement fraud.

“This calls for a holistic, administrative and general review of all the procurement processes adopted by Miss Kashope Boyle and her cohorts which are at variance with the stipulated provisions in the public procurement act section 54 sub-section 1-.3. It should be reiterated and noted that there is a written sanction against any chief executive or accounting officer of any procuring entity (establishment) that is involved in breach of procurement trust in accordance to public procurement Act section 6 (i) and procurement audit section 5 (p).

“The reason for bringing Miss Kashope Boyle, a close relation of the VC, into the system is well known to Mr. VC. The Procurement Department is rotten and it stinks to higher heavens. More expositions at the appropriate time!!!;

“Under the watch of Mr. VC, the Department of Work, Services and the Physical Planning has metamorphosed into a contracting firm under the guise of direct labour approach for execution of projects, resulting in excess spending, manipulation of funds, loss of revenue to the State Government because taxes are not paid on direct labour projects etc. According to the scope of application in part 111 section of Ondo State Procurement Law which states and I quote that “subject to the provision of subsection (2) (3) and (4), of the above Law, it shall apply to all procurement of goods, works and services carried out by the State, Local Government Boards and all other procuring entities like UNIMED.

“Accordingly, the Ondo State Financial Regulations, Chapter 47 of Public Procurement Law of Contract, Part 1: General Principle, Public Procurement Law in section 47002: The State Public Procurement Law (PPL) provides detailed requirements and guidelines for procurement of contract and not Direct Labour as being practiced in UNIMED in respect of goods, works and services. Section 47003: The rules of contract apply to all procurements made by all agencies (MDAs) within the climes of Ondo State Government that derive at least 35% of their operational funds through Ondo State appropriation law.

“The Works, Services and Physical Planning Department can be likened to a conduit pipe for the purpose of siphoning the financial resources of this University with impunity. The hatchet men of Mr. VC are Messrs. Samuel O. Ogunwusi, the so-called Acting Director of Works, Services and Physical Planning and Adesekeji Oshikoya, the Environmental Engineer- a close associate of Mr. VC. These two individuals, who are very close to him, were brought into the University system to assist him in his clandestine activities.

“This is why Adesekeji could hold over sixty million (N60,000,000:00) naira as cash advances without retirement for months in contravention of procurement law and financial regulations. Engr. Ogunwusi is currently engaged as a consultant for the purpose of supervising Direct Labour projects in UNIMED. By his letter of appointment and mode of engagement, he is not a true employee of UNIMED. Therefore, he can’t be addressed as the Acting Director of Works, Services and Physical Planning as being addressed in the various documents pertaining to Works, Services and Physical Planning Department.

“The game plan is to keep him in UNIMED system and delay the advertisement of the position of Director of Works, Services and Physical Planning so that he can be brought into the employment of UNIMED in a clandestine and subterranean manner. This strategy had been used and it is still being used for the purpose of denying Ondo State indigenes in getting appointments into various positions in the employment of staff in UNIMED. More expositions at the appropriate time.

“Under the watch of Mr. VC, the bursar is keeping over twenty different bank accounts with different banks for UNIMED, a young and fledgling University, when Nigeria, a country, keeps a Single Treasury Account. Keeping multiple accounts are good grounds for poor financial management and financial malpractices as well as loss of funds in managing these accounts. For examples some account may be hidden from the Management and Council’s purview; and movements of funds from one account to another can be compromised. Some of these pieces of information are contained in the audited accounts of the University if we care to look closely. Some damning pieces of information are usually kept away from council members by external auditors in order to protect their jobs. I will endeavour to provide such information with more expositions at the appropriate time.”