‘Alleged conversion of deduction, FUTA VC not involved’

The Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State on Monday stated that the case that warranted petition of   four retirees of FUTA Secondary School to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) indicting the Vie Chancellor of the University, and others over alleged deductions did not involve the VC, Professor Joseph Fuwape and Chairman of the Board of FUTA Secondary School, Professor Deji Ogunsemi.

FUTA, which explained this in a statement made available to Daily Champion by its Deputy Director, Corporate Communications, Mr. Adegbenro Adebanjo, said the matter predated the assumption of office of the VC, Professor Fuwape, in 2017 and Professor Ogunsemi as Chairman, Board of FUTA Secondary School in 2019.

The statement pointedly said nobody has tampered with any funds whatsoever, adding that the allegations by the petitioners were baseless, false and gross misrepresentation of facts with intent to mislead unwary members of the public.

FUTA said in the statement: “This is a case involving the Management Board of FUTA Secondary School and the teachers, Mr. Anein Abraham Omoareabu, Mr. Ezekiel Ojo Akerele, Mr. Foluwaso Ebenezer Akerele and Mr. Samuel Oluwabamise Olajide, on whose behalf the Lawyer who wrote the petition to EFCC dated 30th July 2021 acted .  The case has nothing to do with the person of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Akure Professor Joseph Fuwape and Chairman of the board of FUTA Secondary School, Professor Deji Ogunsemi.

“This is a case involving the Management Board of FUTA Secondary School and the teachers, Mr. Anein Abraham Omoareabu, Mr. Ezekiel Ojo Akerele, Mr. Foluwaso Ebenezer Akerele and Mr. Samuel Oluwabamise Olajide, on whose behalf the Lawyer who wrote the petition to EFCC dated 30th July 2021 acted .  The case has nothing to do with the person of the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Akure Professor Joseph Fuwape and Chairman of the board of FUTA Secondary School, Professor Deji Ogunsemi.

“The matter predated the assumption of office of Professor Joseph Fuwape as Vice-Chancellor in 2017 and Professor Deji Ogunsemi as Chairman Board of FUTA Secondary School in 2019.

“It is therefore presumptuous, unkind and mischievous to accuse them falsely in the manner contained in the petition to the EFCC by Olabanjo Ayenakin Esq. acting for the said teachers.

“To be sure the matter that has now been disingenuously turned into a petition to the EFCC is before the National Industrial Court in Akure, Ondo State.

“It is pertinent to note that the persons on whose behalf the petition was written had gone to the National Industrial Court and jointly sued Arm Pension Managers Limited, NLPC Pension Fund Administrators Limited, National Pension Commission and FUTA via a suit filed at National Industrial Court, Akure Judicial Pension on 4th March, 2021. Suit No. NICN/AK/15/2021.

“In the suit, the names of Professors Fuwape and Ogunsemi did not occur because they are not parties to the suit.

“However, this fact was deliberately hidden from the petition written to the EFCC.

“By law, once a matter is pending before the Court, all parties to the case ought to await the final determination of the Court on the matter.  Anything done by any of the parties without obtaining the Court’s permission for same, amounts to contempt of Court in the eyes of the law. Since the parties are already in the process of settling the matter and the case is still pending before the Court, the step taken by the claimant amounts to dishonor of the Court’s process.

“For the avoidance of doubt, nobody has tampered with any funds whatsoever.  The allegations, for record purposes, are baseless, false in its entirety and gross misrepresentation of facts with intent to mislead unwary members of the public”.

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