The Bursar, Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta (FUNAAB), South-West Nigeria, Moses Ilesanmi, has been suspended for allegedly blowing whistle over series of multimillion Naira fraud and armed robbery attack that took place in both the school Microfinance Bank and Bursary department of the institution respectively.

The Bursar’s act according to FUNAAB’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Olusola Oyewole, amount to an act of insubordination.

Consequently, a source in the University campus, had told our Correspondent that the University Governing Council, therefore resolved to query the Bursar basically due to the alleged strong languages contained in his letter to the Council on ways and methods his principals were handling cases of shoddy financial dealings in the Institution.

“But few days after, the Governing Council earlier disciplinary option of query was overturned to a warning letter. One week after he was invited to the office of the School registrar and handed a one-month suspension letter,” a source in the security department of the School revealed to our Correspondent.

The source added that sometime in March, 2009, an alleged armed robbery attack took place at the cash center of FUNAAB Mircofinance Bank located at Isale-Igben area of the State.

“Though the criminals did not take any life, they allegedly carted away millions of Naira from the Bank. You know that period was a busy one at the Bank, because students and business partners of the School were making one form of payment or the other into School account at the Microfinance Bank, so there was heavy cash inflow at the time the armed robbery chose to attack the Bank.”

It was gathered that following the robbery incident, the manager of the Bank, one M.A.O Adeyemo, was allegedly suspended. The action was said to be in pursuant to the University regulations (section 4.1.4 (4). “Meanwhile, the School did not report the robbery to the Police. All they did was to set up an internal panel of inquiry to handle the matter.”

According to the Source, the Bank’s manager was suspended on  March 16, 2009, through a memo with reference number, UNAAB/R/SP.316/F. “Six month after Adeyemo’s suspension, he was recalled  to the same duty post by the panel in a letter dated 4th August, 2009. He was recalled to duty with full pay,” said our source in the security department of the University.

On March, 2011, the same Microfinance Bank was involved in another alleged fraud and theft of the sum of N866,015.00 and N20,900.00. Based on this incident, the manager of the Bank, Adeyemo who has just been recalled from suspension was handed a warning letter, dated 30th March, 2011.

Investigation revealed that, while he was still contending with the warning letter, another fraudulent practice was reported in the Bank. Through another query to the Manager, Adeyemo, dated 9th June, 2011, It was gathered that over N17.7Million had disappeared from the Bank’s coffer.

It was also gathered that the query was immediately followed up with another suspension from duty. The suspension letter is dated June 15th, 20011. The letter stated in part, “you would recall that a query was issued to you dated June 9th, 2011 following various allegations that were leveled against you, one of which involved carrying out transaction in excess of the limit of your authority as a manager of UNAAB Microfinance Bank.”

Our Correspondent learnt that on 28th February, 2012, the appointment of Adeyemo, was allegedly terminated. “But the astonishing thing according to the letter from the whistle blower to the University governing council, was that on the September, 16th 2012, Adeyemo termination’s was reversed and he was asked to report back to duty with effect from October 22, 2012,” said the source.

It was not long after he has been recalled from termination that another fraud was uncovered from the same Bank managed by Adeyemo and his appointment was again terminated on February 11th , 2013. “But he has again been recalled for the third time by the present Vice Chancellor Professor Olusola Oyewole, following an alleged approval by the Governing Council of the University,” said our source.

“It was all this jig-saw in the administration of public funds in the University that miffed the Bursar, Moses Ilesanmi and he allegedly wrote to the governing council, intimating them of the happening in the University Microfinance Bank. The said revelation is what earned the Bursar his present suspension, and we are saying this is unjust and ungodly.”

When our Correspondent called the Vice Chancellor of FUNAAB, Olusola Oyewole, for his reaction to the allegation, he insisted he would never discuss the development on telephone and asked that our Correspondent pay a visit to the School, located in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital. Similarly, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the School, Emi Alawode, also insisted on a visit by our Correspondent.

Consequently, a visit was paid to the School but the Vice Chancellor refused to meet with our Correspondent. He rather asked the School PRO to speak on the matter. The PRO, simply admitted the development in the University Bank, but stated that all the decisions taken on the matter emanated from both the University authority and governing council.

“What I am telling you is that, the School has authorities that take decisions on matters like this. This is the Governing Council which is made up of both external and internal men and women of timber and caliber and they have deliberated on this matter and took the decision and I have no power to question their decision.”

It was while the interview with the School PRO was in progress with our Correspondent that the Vice Chancellor, called the PRO and spoke with her, after answering the call, the PRO, told our Correspondent that the VC would like to see him, the request our Correspondent turned down.

The PRO also said she would not know why the School authority refused to report an armed robbery attack and serial fraud at the UNAAB Microfinance Bank to the Police since 2009.

“I cannot also say anything on why the School finance department has not been audited in the last four years. Neither can I also tell you anything on why the Registrar is not one of the required signatories to the School account. It is only the Governing Council or the Vice Chancellor that can answer your questions.”

Meanwhile, the Police authority in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital disclosed that it was aware of a robbery attack at the School Microfinance Bank but that it could not do anything because the University authority never made formal report on it to the Police.

Meanwhile, there was strong indication that a petition to this effect may have been deposited with EFCC by some members of staff of the School. A staff in the Vice Chancellor’s office told our Correspondent that, “very soon EFCC would visit this School, this is too much.”