Some members of staff of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) have invited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate cases of alleged contract racketeering, fraudulent activities and abuse of office against the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kate Omenugha.
The staff in a petition signed on their behalf by Mr. Silas Joseph Onu Esq, Managing Consultant at Shield and Sword Consult, Legal Practitioners based in Abuja alleged that the acting VC awarded contracts without recourse to Public Procurement Act 2007.
They accused the Acting VC of contract racketeering amounting to public procurement violation, fraud and financial crimes.
The petitioners said the acting VC had engaged in abuse of public office and financial crimes through the splitting and awarding of contracts for personal gains.
“Due process was not followed in splitting and awarding the contracts 2024 TETFund Project as there were no public notifications for expression of bids as required by the Public Procurement Act.
“The staff Biometric Capturing contract was awarded to family members in total disregard for conflict of interest to a company that was inactive for decades.
“The facelift of the University Gate House, Igbariam Campus was started by the Ag. VC and her family members without input from the University’s Director of Physical Planning and valuation by the Council as required by law.
“The project had gulped between N65 million and N100 million while the solar street lighting in the College of Medicine, Amaku, Awka for about N20 million in similar manner.
“This project has never worked in the college with the students left in darkness, the contract sum was paid into the account of the Ag. Vice-chancellor’s family member,” the petitioners said.
They said the acting Vice-chancellor through her family members took advantage of her office to enter a business transaction with the COOU, to sell only their family table water known as KONCIO within the entire University premises.
“The Ag. Vice Chancellor circumvented the Council directive and introduced another table water named B-ORIENT Table water and gave it monopoly of the water market within the University against the decision of the Council,” they said.
The petitioners alleged that the money for the production of Student Identification Card which they claimed was diverted to the cronies of the the Ag. Vice Chancellor and cards were not printed.
“These are dues and service charges generated by the Students Affairs
Directorate for running of the students’ hostels and
other student activities,” they said.
They also faulted the call for review of the award of Year 2023 TETFUND Annual Intervention (LOT), Construction of the Department Of Architecture Building which they said was ploy to extort money from the university.
But the management of COOU has dismissed the petition as a calculated attempt to tarnish the reputation of the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kate Omenugha and the University
A statement signed by Dr Harrison Madubueze, Public Relations Officer of COOU said no law enforcement agency had communicated with the university with regard to the petition against the acting VC.
The statement was entitled “RE Petition by University Staff Against Professor Kate Azuka Omenugha – The Acting Vice Chancellor Odumegwu-Ojukwu University”
It said the petition was not unconnected to the ongoing process for appointment of a substantive Vice Chancellor at COOU and an attempt to stop Omenugha.
“This development exposes the true motives of the faceless beings behind these allegations.
“Prof. Omenugha has spearheaded transformative change across various facets of the university in terms of values, infrastructure, research, curriculum and standing of the University, including community engagement,” it said.