Alleged Graft: Governor Adeleke Suspends Provost Of Osun College Of Education

By Ayodele Oni

For alleged abuse of power and financial wrong-doing, the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke has approved the suspension of Prof Jimoh Atanda Afolabi, the Provost of the Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun.

The Governor’s spokesman, Olawale Rasheed, in a statement on Friday, explained that the suspension, which is with immediate effect, is  in line with the interim report of the Investigation Panel headed by the Chief of Staff to the state governor, Kazeem Akinleye.

The statement, added that the Governor also approved the recommendation of the committee that the Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr Peter Babalola remain in office as there is no proven case against him.

The statement reads, “The allegation of over two hundred million Naira fraud levelled against the Council Chairman was found to be unsubstantiated with documentary proof or transaction details.

“The cash advance of three million Naira to the council chairman was found to be within the college’s financial regulations with all documentation verified by the committee.

“Based on a thorough review, the committee discovered that the allegation of N200m fraud levelled against the Chairman of the Governing Council is untrue, diversionary, baseless, and fallacious.

“Documentary evidence (voucher) revealed that he only collected a sum of three million Naira as a cash advance which is officially allowed.

“On the Provost, the Committee reviewed three previous reports of investigations into various allegations of financial malfeasance, abuse of power and corruption levelled against him dating from past administrations to date.

“The Committee after a thorough review of the reports including that of the State House of Assembly alongside its own investigations recommended immediate suspension of the Provost, which is now endorsed by the State Governor.

“Sequel to the findings of the investigative Panel, the Provost of Osun State College of Education, Ila-Orangun, Prof. Jimoh Atanda Afolabi is hereby suspended on the grounds of financial impropriety, concealment of official information/ records; and failure to update the Governing Council on the important issues of the College.

“The Committee is billed to submit its final report at a later date.”

Trouble started early this year, when the Chairman of the College Governing Council, Peter Babalola, suspended Prof Afolabi for financial misappropriation.

To stop the ensuing crisis from snowballing, the state government inaugurated a three-man panel of enquiry headed by the Chief of Staff to the state governor.

The panel later reinstated the Provost, Prof Afolabi, pending the outcome of an investigation by the panel.