Akinwande Soji-Ojo
A lecturer in the Department of Quantity Surveying, Dr Babatunde Dosumu, has dragged the Rector and Bursar of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) over alleged non-release of N20 million TETFUND scholarship to complete his PhD degree.
Dosumu dragged the duo before the anti-corruption agency after repeated efforts to recover the sum proved abortive.
In the petition to the ICPC, Dosumu, who is a former Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) chairman in the institution, explained that Tertiary Education Tax Fund (TETFUND) awarded him a N57 million scholarship to study for PhD at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom in 2019.
He alleged that the sum was paid into the institution’s bank account for disbursement every new session once terms and conditions are met, but the duo refused to pay part of his third session tuition fee and withheld part of his maintenance fee for two sessions totalling N10 million. He added that the act forced him to seek a one-year extension for which another N10.7 million maintenance fee should be paid to him. The figure brought the total to N20.7 million.
He said their refusal to release the fund threw him into a situation that forced him to go borrowing to avoid being withdrawn from the programme.
In the petition submitted by his lawyer O. K. Salawu, Dosumu sought ICPC’s investigation of the alleged misappropriation of funds with a view to recovering the sum.
“That by a letter dated 6th March, 2019 and attached as annexure, TETFUND approved and paid a total sum of N57,190,000.00 to The Polytechnic, Ibadan, for a three years Scholarship of Ph.D Management of Project’s in University of Manchester, United Kingdom to our client.
“That pursuant to the letter of approval under reference, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, shall be responsible for payment of tuition fees and maintenance allowance of our client from the released fund from TETFUND for the three years programme. The tuition fee shall be paid directly to the University of Manchester by The Polytechnic, Ibadan through a domiciliary account opened for that purpose with Zenith Bank while the maintenance fee of N10.7 million equivalent in United Kingdom Pounds Sterling shall be paid to our client.
“That The Polytechnic paid the 1st year fee but unfortunately refused or neglected to pay the 3rd year fee and the 2nd and 3rd year maintenance fee totalling N28 million till date for no justifiable reason despite repeated demand by the University of Manchester.
“That the failure to pay the balance of the tuition of £23,000 (pounds) almost truncated the programme as our client was suspended and logged out of the school website.
“That the non-payment of the tuition fee to the University of Manchester led to automatic extension of programme and our client had to result to borrowing from friends and family to ensure he completed the programme when the Bursar and the Rector of The Polytechnic, Ibadan wickedly refused to pay the tuition and maintenance fee already paid to The Polytechnic, Ibadan by TETFUND.
“That sometimes around January 2024, our client did a letter to the Rector of The Polytechnic, Ibadan requesting the immediate payment of this sum so that he could pay up all the loans he used in completing the programme, but to his amazement, the Rector informed him verbally that he and the Bursar have used the money meant for his study for their personal need, a clear act of misappropriation and fraudulent conversion of fund using the privilege of public office. Attached as annexure is a copy of letter dated 15th January, 2024.
“Sequel to the above, we urge you to use you good offices to wade into this wicked and conscienceless act of misappropriation and fraudulent conversion of Scholarship and maintenance fund of our Client running into a huge sum of N28,000.000.00 (Twenty Eight Million Naira) perpetrated by the duo of Rector and Bursar of The Polytechnic, Ibadan using the privilege of their office to perpetrate this act.
“Sir, we have it on good authority that the duo are about to retire and leave service specifically on the 23rd of March, 2024 without accounting for the TETFUND Scholarship funds. We hope your organization act swiftly to ensure that this is nipped in the bud before the duo bow out of service so that they can defend the allegations while in the office,” the petition read in part.
