Stop Scandalous Award Of Contracts, Massive Corruption At LASUSTECH Now, Pro Democracy Group Tells Sanwo Olu.
…….Calls for suspension of VC Odusanya.
By Emma lkpeama.
The glaring inflation of contracts, flagrant bypass and abuse of due process alleged to be perpetuated at the Lagos State University of Science and Technology (LASUSTECH), has attracted the attention of the United Action for Democracy (UAD), a pro-democracy group.
UAD has however called on the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to immediately suspend the Vice-Chancellor of LASUSTECH, Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya, to prevent further corruption and imminent implosion of the institution.
The group, a coalition of pro-democracy and human rights groups, in a petition, signed by its Organising Secretary, Kazeem Oloyede, cited what it termed grave allegations of corruption against the Vice-Chancellor, noting that his continued stay in office threatens the stability of the institution, endangers its credibility, and may trigger an uncontrollable internal crisis among academic staff, non-academic staff, and students.
The group accused the VC of flagrant abuse of procurement laws for deliberately bypassing the Procurement Department and Lagos State Public Procurement Law 2021, personally awarding contracts without due process; corrupt contract awards, as he allegedly colluded with the Procurement Officer and Auditor to manipulate contract processes, selecting companies of personal interest for fraudulent financial gains; and massive inflation of contracts, among other allegations.
“The unchecked corruption within LASUSTECH has triggered growing resentment among academic staff, non-academic staff, and students, who are on the verge of full-blown protests. If immediate action is not taken, the institution risks total breakdown, leading to national and international disgrace.
“We are demanding the immediate suspension of Professor Olumuyiwa Odusanya as Vice-Chancellor to allow for transparent investigations and prevent further damage to LASUSTECH. There should be the appointment of an interim leadership to restore confidence in the university’s administration and ensure accountability.
“There should be a full-scale forensic audit into the mismanagement of the accreditation fund, and immediate prosecution of all individuals found culpable in the financial misappropriation to serve as a deterrent to future violations.
“Your Excellency, the reputation of LASUSTECH, Lagos State, and Nigeria’s education sector is at stake. The global academic community is watching, and any failure to act decisively will tarnish the image of your administration and the state. We urge you to act swiftly to prevent the imminent implosion of LASUSTECH and ensure that justice prevails,” he said.
He noted that several law enforcement agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Lagos State Police Command, have already received reports on the case, and investigations are said to be ongoing.
“However, for justice to take its course without interference, it is imperative that the Vice-Chancellor is immediately suspended to prevent obstruction of investigations and further financial damage to the institution.”he submitted
