The Vice-Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU) Anyigba, Kogi State in North-Central Nigeria, Professor Marietu Ohunene Tenuche has denied allegations of fraud levelled against her by some online publications.
At a news conference on Thursday, Prof. Tenuche, said the online publications Observer Times and several other news blogs, have published falsehoods against her person and office as VC using offensive headlines such as ‘female VC’ and ‘allegation of fraud.‘
The VC said the adverse online media reports sullied her reputation as she gives background to the issues at stake.
“May we start by stating the most repulsive fact that, contrary to the purpose of Alumni Associations, the world over, the Kogi State University Management has been, for many years, dealing with a few individuals, who, rather than seeking to pursue the ideals of an Alumni Association, resorted to devising ways of milking the University dry, at all cost.
“To set the records straight, the general public should be informed that Suit No.: AYHC/03/2023 pending before the Kogi State High Court of Justice, sitting in Anyigba, has no link whatsoever, with an allegation of fraud against the office and person of the Vice Chancellor of the University.
“It is no longer news that the Alumni Association of Kogi State University has been enmeshed in leadership crises for years now, with two factions, all laying claim to legitimacy as National Executives of the Association.”
According to Professor Tenuche, the crises have triggered a legal fire-storm, which prompted the University Governing Council’s decision to review the University Law 2018, which gives certain powers to the University’s Alumni Association; the basis upon which the Alumni Association demands inclusion in the Governing Council’s meeting.
“The University Governing Council has directed that the University Management should commence the process for the review of several anomalies observed in the 2018 University Law, in line with the report of the last Visitation Panel and other global Universities’ best practices.”
Prof. Tenuche refuted all the claims and allegations made by the factional leadership of the Alumni Association and described the allegations as ‘spurious and baseless’.
“Angered by the decision of the University not to give recognition to their faction, the arrowheads of that faction filed an action against the University and made the Vice Chancellor a co-defendant. Their claim in the case is that the University be mandated to invite their acclaimed National President to Council Meetings and that previous Council Meetings held to their exclusion and the decisions taken at such meetings, be nullified.
“On their demand for inclusion as members of the University Governing Council, the University has since filed our defence to the case and made a response to the motion for restraining order, while the University Governing Council has directed the University Management commence the process for the review of several anomalies observed in the 2018 University Law, in line with the report of the last Visitation Panel and other global Universities best practices.”
The University recently attained full accreditation of its programmes as virtually all the courses run by the 23-year-old institution have been approved by the national universities Commission (NUC), which gave its approval to the programmes during the last accreditation visit.
PAAU has since become a university of first choice for students seeking university admissions because of its trouble-free academic calendar since the ban on academic staff unionism by Governor Bello’s administration in the state.
