EXCLUSIVE: "I Acted Based on Confirmation to the CEC by the Welfare Secretary" — Former SU Financial Secretary.

December 24, 2017.

The immediate past administration of Lukman Shobowale seems to be under the storm by virtue of a recent revelation made by the incumbent Central Executive Council of Unilorin Student Union. 

The revelation holds to the effect that of the 15, 000 copies of undistributed souvenirs approved for production by the immediate past CEC, only 7,056 copies are said to be in the Student Union store presently. 

Consequently, 7,944 copies of souvenirs cannot be accounted for, thereby raising suspicion from some quarters as to the alleged culpability of the Eminent-led administration in the whole scandal.

In this exclusive interview granted at the behest of the former Student Union Financial Secretary, Miss Mashood Bolajoko Maryam, she seizes the opportunity to clear the air on the grey areas of the missing copies of souvenirs. Enjoy!

------------------------------------------------

UCJ: Can we meet you?

Bolajoko: My name is Mashood Bolajoko Maryam.

UCJ: How would you react to the issue of souvenirs that can't be accounted for?

Bolajoko: The issue of the souvenir being unaccounted is one that needs to be broken down to get to the roots. The following must however be noted:

1) An initial 18,000 copies were proposed by the CEC of 2016/2017. However, the senate council felt that for better and even distribution 25,000 should be produced and it was approved as such.

2)The student Union due of #400 in the budget presentation and preparation was increased to #500 per student. This was due to the meeting held with the management and the Student Union to remit #100, that has been charged against a foundation, to the Union.

3) Upon the receipt of the union due by the Union, the due was received based on #400 per student, in which the president, General Secretary and I visited and wrote appropriate letters for the balance to be remitted to the Union.

4) The contractor promised to deliver second week of second semester, but due to operational issues, didn't meet up to date.

5) The money has promised by the management wasn't released and I still raised the issue at the stakeholder meeting held with the management.

6) When the contractor called for payment, it was obvious the management wasn't going to remit the funds then. So, a resolution was made at a CEC meeting for the contractor to halt at 15,000 copies and the Union wasn't funded, but we told him as soon as the Union was credited by management, we would tell him to carry on the production process.

7) The contractor then delivered 10,000 copies, and the Welfare Secretary (PS), confirmed to the CEC at a meeting in which it was agreed we paid him 1,500,000.

UCJ: Okay, ma. I'm with you.

8) At another meeting of the Council, the welfare also confirmed that, the balance of 5,000has been delivered, and it was agreed at the Council we paid him the balance of 600, 000 which we did.

9) However, till the ending of our adminstration, the management didn't credit the Union our balance, so we couldn't tell the contractor to proceed production.

10) Not until recently, the new adminstration confirmed to us that upon counting that it was  around 7,905 souvenir. I however disagreed to that, as it was unbelievable. Then we CEC of the 2016/2017, were up and down to get to what went wrong.

11) Upon further discussion, the Welfare Secretary (PS) alleged that the president ordered him behind other council members not to count, so all the confirmations made at the meeting were false.

12) The President (eminent) however, denied the allegation that we never uttered such statement to the Welfare Secretary.

13) So, we have not being able to understand why the contractor delivered 7,000plus and was paid for 15,000.

14) and personally, I don't know why the Welfare Secretary didn't count, and confirmed to the executive council that he did.

15) It was based on the confirmations made by the Welfare Secretary that I paid the contractor.

Thank you.

UCJ: Did you acknowledge receipt of the entire transaction?

Bolajoko: Yes, I did, all payment vouchers and evidence of receipt by the contractor were documented and was handed over to the incumbent Financial Secretary as well as other vouchers as they are property of the Union.

UCJ: Were souvenirs distributed at all?

Bolajoko: No, by the time the Welfare Secretary confirmed the last batch of 5,000 were delivered. It was after exam, so we felt it would be more appropriate for the new adminstration to share upon resumption.

UCJ: Are you saying souvenirs were not distributed even after the contractor delivered the 15 thousand copies as agreed in the contract?

Bolajoko: Yes, it was not distributed. At this point it seems that the contractor didn't deliver the 15,000 copies.

UCJ: Who was the contractor that handled the souvenir contract?

Bolajoko: Arroyshd Printing Press.

UCJ: Where then is the whereabout of the missing copies of souvenirs?

Bolajoko: I really can't say it has a location.

Its obvious the alleged missing copies were never delivered, so they are not missing.

UCJ: Then why would the then CEC pay for such a huge volume of materials without proper stock taking to ensure compliance with contractual agreement?

Bolajoko: The Welfare Secretary is the one in charge, I'm which he confirmed that he counted it along the employees of the contractor that delivered it to the student Union building.

UCJ: The same Welfare Secretary said the then President instructed him not to count the copies delivered. Isn't that contradictory?

Bolajoko: He only said this after the souvenir were discovered to be incomplete.

At the council meeting, he confirmed it was complete.

UCJ: For the purpose of clarity, the unit price of the souvenir was #400, right?

Bolajoko: No, the #400 naira was the estimated due (Union due). The souvenir was #140/copy.

UCJ: Okay. According to the current CEC, the actual quantity of souvenirs in the SU store is #7,056. By implication, #7,944 copies are missing. Am I correct?

Bolajoko: Yes, you are.

UCJ: How much is the difference in contention that is yet to be accounted for?

Bolajoko: I paid the contractor 15,000,and it should be 15,000. But unaccounted figure is the missing copies.

UCJ: How much are we looking out here?

Bolajoko‬: 15,000 - 7056 = 7944 @140 naira. That's 1,112,160 naira.

UCJ: Are you sure the delivery was done in two batches? We gathered from a member of the then CEC that it was made more than that. Your reaction, please.

Bolajoko: The confirmation was done twice to my office.

First, when it was 10,000, which I made the initial payment.

Secondly, when the last 5,000 was made.

UCJ: Okay. What message would you like to pass across to the stakeholders on the issue?

Bolajoko: That the office of the Financial secretary, which I was holding as at that time, of the payment to the contractor, and delivery acted based on the confirmations to the CEC by the Welfare Secretary.

UCJ: Which means you had no idea whether the contractor delivered the agreed quantity nor the Welfare Secretary taking stock of the deliveries?

Bolajoko: As at the time of payment, it was believed that the contractor had delivered and the welfare took stock.

UCJ: He took stock? Or reportedly took stock?

Bol‬ajoko: Reportedly took stock

UCJ: Eminent denied instructing Halogen not to take stock of the deliveries. How would you react to it?

Bolajoko: Like I said earlier, halogen said so,and eminent denied, so it just between them.

UCJ: Another thing, did the school authority eventually remit the #100 from the Lukman Foundation?

Bolajoko: We were actually told to open a new account aside our operation account, which we did, but till the ending of our adminstration it wasn't remitted.

UCJ: Thank you so much, Miss Bolajoko. Any parting words for members of the university community?

Bolajoko: At every level of leadership, we must always put in interest of those we have pledged to serve, only can we start to see a better leadership process.

UCJ: Thank you very much for your time, Miss Bolajoko.

Bolajoko: You're highly welcome.

Osuji Chima Francis

UCJ, UNILORIN.