By Sam Tyav, Makurdi
Authorities of Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University (former Benue State University), Makurdi, Benue State, have denied allegations that some management staff of the institution pocketed about N2 billion in a sleaze claim currently rocking the institution.
Denying the embezzlement allegation when journalists under the auspices of the Forum of Investigative Journalists visited the university, the Vice Chancellor (VC), Professor Joe Tor Iorapuu, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (DVC), Administration, Professor Mike Odey, explained that since the institution depended largely on internally generated revenue for sustenance, the alleged siphoning of money would have hampered smooth running of activities for the university greatly,if such malfeasance had occurred.
Asserting that with every aspect of the university life moving seamlessly, the VC claimed that this showed that no money was lost.
Professor Odey was accompanied by the DVC, Academics, Professor Simon T. Ubwa, as well as the Registrar, Mr. Barnabas Terfa Hemba, among other management staff.
On his part, Professor Ubwa insisted that no money was stolen from the university’s purse as alleged.
According to him, if the whopping sum of N2 billion disappeared from the institution’s purse, it would have threatened its corporate existence.
Ubwa reaffirmed the management’s commitment to prudence, explaining that diligent handling of resources has translated to the low expenditure profile of the university –a feat, he noted, that instead required applause rather than allegations of mismanagement.
Making more clarifications, the DVC, Academics, disclosed that the level of poverty among many residents of Benue State had affected the payment of school fees, acknowledging that the unfortunate situation accounted for why a hefty percentage of students were unable to pay fees in the 2019/2020, 2020/2021, 2021/2022, 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions –and how to redeem these sums, he noted, was a raging issue at the moment.
With management’s intent to halt debtor students from writing examinations, he further explained, the measure would mean that over half of the students would not write the examinations.
According to Professor Ubwa, this was what motivated the University’s Governing Council to set up an ad hoc committee to determine the level of commitment by students to the university.
On the allegation that the institution’s portal crashes deliberately and frequently, Ubwa denied also that the portal ever crashed and advised against wrong such perception.
Ubwa stated that it was normal in any organization for a brief shutdown of any working tool for the purpose of upgrade, especially the portal being one of the most modern devices for effective operations.
Professor Ubwa clarified further that for effective functioning of the portal and to accommodate the additional student load, occasional shutdowns were needed to upgrade and enhance the electronic device’s performance.
