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Following series of allegations and counter allegations that have characterised the Senate council of the University of Ilorin for some weeks now. The UCJ Unilorin has spoken with all the players involved to hear their own side of the story, and in this exclusive report evaluates the genesis of the matter, the nitty-gritty of it, what some concerned Senators have to say on it, and the defence by the Senate President. Enjoy!
The Genesis of the Matter:
On 20th May 2016, a former senator representing the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Ilorin wrote to the Unilorin Independent Students Anti-Corrupt Practices Commission (UISAPC) alleging that the Senate President, Senator Abdul salaam Mashood Orire (Malawi) misappropriated some funds specifically as regards his sitting allowances. Though this allegation has been heard by the commission, and in its report on 27th May 2016, cleared the Senate President of any financial misappropriations in that regard.
The Issue lingers: Another phase of financial misappropriations:
While the UISAPC cleared the senate president of this allegation raised by the former senator. More allegations emerged that the Senate President has failed to remit remnants of the sitting allowances of senators who failed to attend sittings to the Students’ Union account. This issue was raised on Saturday, 28th May 2016 during the sitting of the Senate Council, when the Financial Secretary of the Students’ Union, Com. Estimate affirmed that while his office credits the sitting allowances of senators to the Senate President, he failed to remit remnants to the Students’ Union account. After a heated debate on the floor of the house that day, the matter was adjourned to the next sitting of the Senate Council.
The Emergency Sitting and the Matters Arising:
On Saturday, 18th June 2016, the Senate Council held an emergency sitting upon the request of the senators. Though, this sitting was not open to members of the public, as it could best be described as an “In-house sitting”. It was hoped that the issue of financial misappropriations will be treated by the Senate President, this hope was dashed into thin air, as the matter was unattended to, due to the absence of the Financial Secretary of the Students’ Union. Though, shortly before the close of proceedings on the floor of the house on that day, the financial secretary emerged, and even despite that, the senate president called for an adjournment. This act, angered many senators who felt the Senate President doesn’t want to attend to the issue in a bid to evade justice.
Concerned Senators Demand Clarification from the Senate President:
In a bid to save the image of the Senate Council of the University. Some concerned senators have spoken exclusively with UCJ Unilorin correspondent (Osuji Chima) on the issue.
Senator Ademola Adekunbi (Representing the faculty of law) while speaking on the issue stated that, the conduct of the Senate President belies his oral protestations of innocence. Narrating what transpired at the Senate Council’s emergency sitting last Saturday, he stated: “His position at the beginning of the sitting was that he was present with all the documents he needed to clear the allegations against him, however when the Financial Secretary arrived, he brought the sitting to an abrupt end”. He therefore called on the Senate President to give an explanation to the house he is leading as well as the students he is representing. “We are only fighting so that the Senate Council will not acquire a reputation similar to that of the Senate at the federal level”. He concluded.
Senator Richard on the other hand corroborated what his colleague said, by requesting that the Senate President clears the air on the allegations levelled against him. In his words: “We request that Senator Malawi comes to clear the allegations levelled against him in front of the mace.”
Senator George (Representing Life Sciences) maintained that the Senate President is a man whom he respects so much, and still do. He therefore called on the Senate President to come on the floor of the house to clear the air on the issue, so as to remove any form of suspicion from fellow students and distinguished senators.
Senator ASM (Representing Communications and Information Sciences) in his own narration, revealed that the crux of the matter was the inability of the Senate President to remit the sitting allowances of members absent from sittings to them nor to the Union’s account. He noted that the Senate President earns N140, 000 (Basic salary and sitting allowance) annually, which makes him the highest paid officer in the Union. In his words: “We are simply demanding that the Senate President should respond to the allegation levelled against him in order to save the image of the Senate Council…”
I don’t have any skeleton in my cupboard; Malawi replies critics
The Senate President has so far replied to critics who have alleged that he has misappropriated the Senate Council funds, and also manoeuvred the last sitting of the Senate Council. In an interview with the UCJ duo of (Ishola Muhammad Basheer and Osuji Chima), the senate president explained that, in a bid to clarify the allegations raised against him, he ensured that the emergency sitting held, despite not meeting the constitutional requirement of 19 senators (As just 14 senators signed the call for an emergency meeting).
Furthermore, he stated that he’s always ready to make clarifications. Though, he noted that the senators only want him to make the clarifications on the floor of the house, but advised that anyone who has anything against him with facts could go to the Students’ Union court or the UISAPC. And if that is not enough, they could proceed to the University management. In his words: “Since May 28th, if this case has been taken to the Students’ Union court, judgement would have been delivered ever since”
While noting that the senate council is a political home, he emphasised that he never manoeuvred the last senate sitting. Explaining that he couldn’t have said anything in the absence of the financial secretary who arrived late for the sitting. In his words: “The financial secretary arrived late, and sat where he could not be easily noticed, and to be frank I’ve already observed the motion for adjournment before sighting him, and there’s nothing I could have done about that ”
Uncertainties in the air
As at the time of filing this report, there are uncertainties as to what would be the next line of action of the aggrieved senators, or when the senate president would publicly address his fellow colleagues/students on the issue. Though, UCJ Unilorin can confirm that senators are making a move to convoke an emergency sitting by invoking Article 14(c) 2 of the standing order of the Students’ Union constitution, a move which the Senate president has denied any knowledge of as at Tuesday (yesterday).
While the senators are eager to hear from the number one legislator, Unilorites on the other hand are also anticipating to hear from him. The Senate president has also promised to clear the air on the issue soon. While these uncertainties linger on, only time can justify the outcome.
AbdulGaniy Shehu (Credit to Osuji Chima and Ishola Muhammad Basheer for the interviews)
Reporting for:
UCJ Unilorin
The Genesis of the Matter:
On 20th May 2016, a former senator representing the Faculty of Agriculture of the University of Ilorin wrote to the Unilorin Independent Students Anti-Corrupt Practices Commission (UISAPC) alleging that the Senate President, Senator Abdul salaam Mashood Orire (Malawi) misappropriated some funds specifically as regards his sitting allowances. Though this allegation has been heard by the commission, and in its report on 27th May 2016, cleared the Senate President of any financial misappropriations in that regard.
The Issue lingers: Another phase of financial misappropriations:
While the UISAPC cleared the senate president of this allegation raised by the former senator. More allegations emerged that the Senate President has failed to remit remnants of the sitting allowances of senators who failed to attend sittings to the Students’ Union account. This issue was raised on Saturday, 28th May 2016 during the sitting of the Senate Council, when the Financial Secretary of the Students’ Union, Com. Estimate affirmed that while his office credits the sitting allowances of senators to the Senate President, he failed to remit remnants to the Students’ Union account. After a heated debate on the floor of the house that day, the matter was adjourned to the next sitting of the Senate Council.
The Emergency Sitting and the Matters Arising:
On Saturday, 18th June 2016, the Senate Council held an emergency sitting upon the request of the senators. Though, this sitting was not open to members of the public, as it could best be described as an “In-house sitting”. It was hoped that the issue of financial misappropriations will be treated by the Senate President, this hope was dashed into thin air, as the matter was unattended to, due to the absence of the Financial Secretary of the Students’ Union. Though, shortly before the close of proceedings on the floor of the house on that day, the financial secretary emerged, and even despite that, the senate president called for an adjournment. This act, angered many senators who felt the Senate President doesn’t want to attend to the issue in a bid to evade justice.
Concerned Senators Demand Clarification from the Senate President:
In a bid to save the image of the Senate Council of the University. Some concerned senators have spoken exclusively with UCJ Unilorin correspondent (Osuji Chima) on the issue.
Senator Ademola Adekunbi (Representing the faculty of law) while speaking on the issue stated that, the conduct of the Senate President belies his oral protestations of innocence. Narrating what transpired at the Senate Council’s emergency sitting last Saturday, he stated: “His position at the beginning of the sitting was that he was present with all the documents he needed to clear the allegations against him, however when the Financial Secretary arrived, he brought the sitting to an abrupt end”. He therefore called on the Senate President to give an explanation to the house he is leading as well as the students he is representing. “We are only fighting so that the Senate Council will not acquire a reputation similar to that of the Senate at the federal level”. He concluded.
Senator Richard on the other hand corroborated what his colleague said, by requesting that the Senate President clears the air on the allegations levelled against him. In his words: “We request that Senator Malawi comes to clear the allegations levelled against him in front of the mace.”
Senator George (Representing Life Sciences) maintained that the Senate President is a man whom he respects so much, and still do. He therefore called on the Senate President to come on the floor of the house to clear the air on the issue, so as to remove any form of suspicion from fellow students and distinguished senators.
Senator ASM (Representing Communications and Information Sciences) in his own narration, revealed that the crux of the matter was the inability of the Senate President to remit the sitting allowances of members absent from sittings to them nor to the Union’s account. He noted that the Senate President earns N140, 000 (Basic salary and sitting allowance) annually, which makes him the highest paid officer in the Union. In his words: “We are simply demanding that the Senate President should respond to the allegation levelled against him in order to save the image of the Senate Council…”
I don’t have any skeleton in my cupboard; Malawi replies critics
The Senate President has so far replied to critics who have alleged that he has misappropriated the Senate Council funds, and also manoeuvred the last sitting of the Senate Council. In an interview with the UCJ duo of (Ishola Muhammad Basheer and Osuji Chima), the senate president explained that, in a bid to clarify the allegations raised against him, he ensured that the emergency sitting held, despite not meeting the constitutional requirement of 19 senators (As just 14 senators signed the call for an emergency meeting).
Furthermore, he stated that he’s always ready to make clarifications. Though, he noted that the senators only want him to make the clarifications on the floor of the house, but advised that anyone who has anything against him with facts could go to the Students’ Union court or the UISAPC. And if that is not enough, they could proceed to the University management. In his words: “Since May 28th, if this case has been taken to the Students’ Union court, judgement would have been delivered ever since”
While noting that the senate council is a political home, he emphasised that he never manoeuvred the last senate sitting. Explaining that he couldn’t have said anything in the absence of the financial secretary who arrived late for the sitting. In his words: “The financial secretary arrived late, and sat where he could not be easily noticed, and to be frank I’ve already observed the motion for adjournment before sighting him, and there’s nothing I could have done about that ”
Uncertainties in the air
As at the time of filing this report, there are uncertainties as to what would be the next line of action of the aggrieved senators, or when the senate president would publicly address his fellow colleagues/students on the issue. Though, UCJ Unilorin can confirm that senators are making a move to convoke an emergency sitting by invoking Article 14(c) 2 of the standing order of the Students’ Union constitution, a move which the Senate president has denied any knowledge of as at Tuesday (yesterday).
While the senators are eager to hear from the number one legislator, Unilorites on the other hand are also anticipating to hear from him. The Senate president has also promised to clear the air on the issue soon. While these uncertainties linger on, only time can justify the outcome.
AbdulGaniy Shehu (Credit to Osuji Chima and Ishola Muhammad Basheer for the interviews)
Reporting for:
UCJ Unilorin
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