By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja.
VICE Chancellor of Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, Prof. Marietu Tenuche has said that the university’s Alumni Association was is set to milk the institution dry.
In an address by the vice-chancellor at a press briefing held on Thursday at the old Lecture Theatre, Prince Abubakar Audu University, Anyigba the Vice Chancellor said the activities of the Alumni Association was most repulsive and contrary to the purpose of Alumni Associations, the world over.
“The University Management has been, for many years, dealing with a few individuals, who, rather than seek to pursue the ideals of an Alumni Association, resorted to devising ways of milking the University dry, at all cost.
She said that the attention of the management of the institution was drawn to publications on some news blogs with headlines such as “Kogi State University female VC dragged to Court over alleged diversion of N31Million”,
“KSU Fraud: Thirty One Million Naira Prince Abubakar Audu University Fraud, VC and Others Drag To Court.”
She said that the publications were deliberately set up to mislead the public and cause grave disaffection to the person of the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Marietu Ohunene Tenuche.
She held that the Suit No.: AYHC/03/2023 pending before Kogi State High Court, in Anyigba, had no link whatsoever, with the 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.
“The crises have crystalized into legal action and counter legal actions in court. While the various actions are still pending, one of the factions, championed by two individuals.
Prof. Tenuche said that the University resolved not to invite any of the factions until the matter pending in court over legitimacy of each faction’s claim to the national leadership of the association was resolved.
“Angered by the decision of the University not to give recognition to their faction, the arrow-heads of that faction filed an action against the University and made the Vice Chancellor a co-defendant”, she said.
The Vice Chancellor said that they sought various reliefs including participation in Council meetings, nullification of meetings held to their exclusion and the decisions taken at such meetings, rendition of account of alumni finances, demand for funds meant for the association.
“That the University should pay their Lawyer the bills the Association incurred by taking the previous University administration to Court.
According to her, the alumni had caused accounts of the University to be garnisheed to the tune of N25,000,000.00 (Twenty Five Million Naira), by an order of the Kogi State High Court, sitting in Idah.
Tenuche took exception to the derogatory manner the Vice Chancellor was referred to in those publication as “KSU female VC” directly, taking a swipe at the gender of the person of the Vice Chancellor of the University with several conjectures.
She said that a simple check at the High Court, Anyigba Registry or a call to the University Management or its lawyers, would have revealed the fact but the online publishers went to town with unverified stories.
The stories they probably were told by the individuals who are bent on bringing their alma mata and her leadership to disrepute, to satisfy their personal aggrandizement, under the guise of “pursing the interest of the alumni association”.
