The Governing Council Panel of the Osun State College of Education, Ila Orangun has recommended the suspension of the Institution provost, Professor Jimoh Afolabi with facts to back their decision, to Governor Ademola Adeleke, pending the conclusion of the investigation in the allegations levied against him.
The Panel who stated that their justification followed due process, charged Professor Jimoh Afolabi for concealing Official documents, lack of accountability of the Institutions status as expected when the governing council resumed office, misappropriation of funds, and for misleading the public with sensational news which were lies and blackmail against the government and the governing council, among others.
This were the statements of the Chairman, Osun State College of Education OSCOED Governing Council, Dr Peter Babalola at the Press Conference held to give the through state of matters of Professor Jimoh Afolabi, who fed the public lies against the government of Governor Ademola Adeleke and the constituted Governing Council.
Dr Peter Babalola disclosed that there is proof that Professor Jimoh Afolabi in conjunction with the retired Bursar of the Institution, Dr Rasheed Oyedeji whose tenure lapsed on September 30 2023, issued Three hundred and Twenty million (N320,000,000.00) naira contract to an unknown contractor without the knowledge of the governing council, who were already appointed during the period.
That findings showed that he vandalised OSCOED, turned the school to personal property, contracted the bottled water venture to his wife, who was said to pay One million (N1,000,000.00) naira annually to the Institution, while the school owns the distribution truck, pays the driver, and services the truck at intervals.
The governing council chairman asserted that reverse is the case, for the blackmail allegation that the provost, Professor Jimoh Afolabi used, he stated that for the accreditation, the provost had collected the notification and concealed it from the management and governing council for months, until he was asked to release it at the board meeting, that he even blocked the governing council from assessing Tetfund.
He stated that for needed funds to put necessary amenities in place for the accreditation, the provost tried to cheat the government into releasing Two hundred million (N200,000,000.00) naira, and when he saw that his antics were not accepted, being the signatory to the school account, he instructed the bank not to release money to the governing council for the accreditation, one of the financial institution in the state was approached for Thirty Five million (N35,000,000.00) naira loan to facilitate the availability of the amenities.
Professor Jimoh Afolabi and his cabal were alleged of sabotaging the equipment put in place for the accreditation process of the school library, and other necessities, that English is not part of the accredited courses. Before he used the press to blackmail Osun state government on Sunday January 7, 2024, the governing council already set up a panel, which had written him to appear before it on Monday January 8, 2024.
Dr Peter Babalola told the members of the fourth estate of the realm that the council had written the ministry of Education on the actions of the provost, and it asked that embargo be placed on the Institution account, an act which have made the governing council to save about Fifty Five million (N55,000,000.00) naira till date.
He maintained that the OSCOED Governing Council hit the ground running by monitoring the system of operation at the Institution, blocked leakages, and put amenities in place as part of the development of the school, added that the structures are testimony of infrastructural development of the institution.
He cleared the air on council meetings, which was claimed to be almost every week, he opined that the council have never contravene the circular guiding the meetings, that aside during the accreditation when the Council Chairman, Secretary and members were at the institution everyday for two weeks, it never held weekly meeting, or collected Six hundred thousand (N600,000.00) naira per council member as alleged, and also that the sitting allowance is thirty thousand (N30,000.00) naira approved by the government, and they have not been paid up to date on it.
The OSCOED Governing Council recalled that Professor Jimoh Afolabi and the retired Bursar, Dr Rasheed Oyedeji were sanctioned by the Auditor General of the state to explain their misappropriation of Four hundred and Twenty million (N420,000,000.00) naira of the institution finances in year 2021.
He reiterated that the government of Governor Ademola Adeleke has promised the good people of Osun state good governance, and he will not allow anyone to manipulate the public with false statements, and that sponsoring of blackmail against the governing council will not deter the government from getting to the roots of allegations, and he urged the public to be wary of misinformation.
