Adeyemi College to partner ICPC on anti-graft crusade

TO complement the anti-corruption of President Muhammadu Buhari, the management of Adeyemi College of Education, Ondo, has disclosed its plan to partner the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) in the dissemination of anti-graft agenda

The Provost of the college, Prof. Olukoya Ogen, disclosed this yesterday during the one-year commemoration of his appointment, assessment of stewardship and interactive session with the college community, noted the financial situation of the college when he took over was horrible
“Our indebtedness was almost hitting the roof and funding from government was insufficient to even pay staff salary. Serious augmentation has to be made from other sources”, he said

According to him: “From the outset, I have made it known that the culture of profligacy and impunity in financial matters, which unfortunately has permeated the fabric of all sectors of our national life, would not be encouraged during my tenure.
“I have always advocated, encouraged and applauded prudence in money matters so much that I oftentimes have denied myself statutory rights for the good of the College.”

On the plan to partner the ICPC on anti-graft crusade, he said, “Given our avowed zero tolerance for corruption, I am happy to announce that the National Anti-Corruption Institute has recently chosen our College as a zonal centre in the south west for the dissemination of government’s anti-corruption agenda.
“Indeed, ICPC will be coming for the inauguration of the members of the College Anti-Corruption and Transparency Unit this November. It is high time that we started feeling the impact of ACTU because it is better and cheaper to prevent corruption than to prosecute offenders.
“Let me reiterate the fact that Management’s commitment to maintaining integrity is non-negotiable.”

He also noted, “one of the first major accomplishments of the current administration was that it succeeded in engaging a renowned firm of external auditors, Omogoroye Okin and Company to carry out an up-to-date audit of the College finances.”
Ogen explained the reasons for not approving new projects saying, “incurring expenditure without cash backing is classified in the 2000 ICPC Act and by the Anti-Corruption Academy of Nigeria as public sector corruption”
“We have tried to complete all inherited projects including the multimillion naira Sport Pavilion which will be commissioned soon.
“Given the successful completion of this project, the door is now open for accessing the over half a billion naira 2013 and 2014 merged TETFUND normal intervention projects fund,” he said.

The Provosts disclosed that the institution has submitted proposal for a $30 million agricultural development assistance grant, which it employed the service of Prof. Femi Balogun as consultant to facilitate.
“His choice was informed by his impressive credentials as a foremost Professor of Agriculture with one of the best commercial farms in the country and for being one of the most successful Vice-Chancellors in the history of the Nigerian university system.

As a renowned agriculturist, he has also won several international research grants and academic award”, he explained
He added that ACE has also submitted a proposal to TETFUND for N500, 000 million special intervention fund to establish a Centre for Entrepreneurship and Skills Acquisition.

In order to achieve probity, accountability and transparency, he said management would be putting in place a Price Monitoring and Intelligence Unit under the office of the Provost.