Gov Adeleke suspends CoE Provost over alleged financial impropriety

Gov. Ademola Adeleke of Osun has approved the immediate suspension of the Provost, Ila Oragun College of Education, Dr Jimoh Afolabi, over alleged financial impropriety.

Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Friday in Osogbo, said that the suspension of the provost followed the interim report of an Investigative Panel, headed by his Chief of Staff, Mr Kazeem Akinleye.

“For  the Provost, the Committee reviewed three previous reports of investigations into various allegations of financial malfeasance, abuse of power and corruption leveled 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 investigation, recommended immediate suspension of the Provost.

“Sequel to the findings of the investigative panel, the provost  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 governor said.

The governor had on Jan. 9 set up a three-man committee to probe alleged misappropriation of N200 million at the state-owned College of Education, Ila-Orangun.

The Provost of the college  and the Chairman of its Governing Council, Dr Peter Babalola, had been trading accusations over the alleged mismanagement of the N200 million belonging to the college.

The statement, however, said that the governor also approved the recommendation of the committee that the Chairman of the Governing Council,  Babalola should remain in office as there was no proven case of abuse of power or financial wrongdoings against him.

It said  the allegation of over N200 million  fraud  leveled against the council chairman could not be substantiated with documentary proof or transaction details.

The statement said the cash advance of  N3 million to the Council chairman was found to be within the college’s financial regulations with all documentations verified by the committee.

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

“Documentary evidence (voucher) revealed that he only  collected the  sum of N3 million as cash advance, which is officially allowed.

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

Meanwhile, the governor has approved the appointment of Dr Jimoh Ayanda as the acting provost of the college.

The governor, in another statement by Rasheed, said Ayanda’s appointment was sequel to the suspension of Afolabi as the provost of the college.

“Dr Jimoh Lasisi Ayanda holds the following qualifications;  National Certificate of Education (English/Islamic Studies (Ila-Orangun, 1990); Bachelor of  Arts (Islamic Studies, University of Ilorin, 1996).

“Also Masters of Arts, University of Ilorin, 2004) and Ph.D, Islamic Studies( University of Ilorin, 2016)

“The acting Provost has spent a cumulative 22 years as a lecturer at the college”, it said.