The Nigerian Youth Congress (NYC) Kogi state chapter has described as baseless and malicious the financial impropriety allegation leveled against Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Lokoja, Professor Angela Miri.
According to the youth congress, an online publication purportedly authored by the Socio-Economic Rights Accountability Project (SERAP) was manufactured to malign the vice chancellor who has done so much to move the institution to enviable height within a very short time of its establishment.
Secretary-General of the congress, Comrade Maximilian Tashilani, at a press conference in Lokoja, Monday said “the accusation that the vice-chancellor dipped her hands into the various accounts of the university is not only frivolous but a figment of the imagination of the writer.”
“The whole writeup shows lack of coherent and reliable facts on the financial situation in the institution and falls short of acceptable practices on investigative journalism.
“The non authentication of this write up invalidates its credibility. The indictment of the vice chancellor on financial recklessness without recourse to any administrative and judicial panel was aimed at assassinating the character of the vice chancellor who has recorded more achievements when compared to her predecessor,” he stated.
Speaking on some of her achievements within the space of four years, the NYC scribe pointed out that Professor Miri, who took the mantle of leadership of the university in 2016 has been instrumental to the completion of the 2014 NEEDS Assessment of the Nigerian Public Universities Special Presidential Intervention Project, which was abandoned by the previous administration.
He said, “A two-storey block of classrooms and offices which commenced since 2015 had stagnated since then until the current Vice-Chancellor, along with her management team, took the bull by the horns, completed the project including furnishing.
“Again under Professor Miri’s purview, the following projects were implemented; Procurement of Laboratory Equipment for Chemistry, Physics, Biological Sciences, Geology, Mathematics, Computer Sciences and Geography Department respectively which are part of requirements for accreditation of courses in the institution.
“She also procured furniture for twelve classrooms in the NANPU project. Professor Miri also embarked on the construction of the Ultra Modern Laboratories; Construction of Departmental Offices and Block of Classrooms; a Multipurpose Centre which were all completed and furnished in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
“Still under the administration of the vice chancellor, the School of Post-Graduate Studies (SPGS) was established in the university and the programme has commenced in earnest,” he added.
