Michael-Okpara-University-Of-Agriculture

By Anayo Okoli

UMUAHIA—THE authorities of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, have been queried over alleged irregular expenditure of over N3 billion.

Although, both the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof Francis Otunta, and the Public Relations Officer, PRO, Mrs Adanma Odefa, declined comments on the matter, the Auditor General of the Federation, AGF, was said to have asked the authorities to explain how about N3,564,682,778 was expended under questionable circumstances.

In the audit query no: OAUGF/ ERIAD/PC/18007 the university administration was alleged to have “misapplied personnel funds” totalling about N571,463,038.56; “irregularly transferred N995,705,752.60 from the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, to other banks against TSA policy” as well as made cash advances of N313,822,899.37,” against laid down rules.

They were also said to have failed to remit N824, 623, 956. 16; spent N6,180,000 irregularly; engaged in doubtful trips (clashes of dates),” amounting to NN50,468,140 among others, totalling the said amount. Apart from this, the authorities were further said to have spent N2. 250 million as Easter gifts to six principal officers in 2017, even as N285, 033,619.74 was illegally withdrawn from the IGR in favour of NEEDS assessment projects.

However, efforts made by Vanguard to speak to both the Vice Chancellor and the PRO through text messages and personal calls proved abortive.

The PRO, Mrs Odefa told Vanguard that she could not speak on the issue adding that only her boss, Prof Otunta, could do so.

“I have nothing to say on the audit query. Direct your inquiries to the Vice Chancellor, Odefa said. Efforts to speak to Otunta yielded no results as he neither responded to text messages sent to his telephones nor took any of the several calls made to him by Vanguard.