The House of Representatives on Thursday received and approved the report of its committee on public procurement, which investigated the crisis rocking the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Akoka, over allegation of abuse of public procurement laws by the institution’s management.
The 16-member committee, chaired by Oluwole Oke, representing Obokun/Oriade federal constituency in Osun State, said contrary to the report of violations of extant laws and corruption allegations levelled against the university management, it found the schools’ accounting books clean.
The committee, however, recommended a review of the composition of the university’s governing council, saying its current membership composition “is not in tandem with federal character principle as there are no representatives from the south-east, south-south and north-central.”
It suggested that the matter should be brought to the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari and that action must be seen to be taken on the matter.
The committee, in its 12-page report, a copy of which Journalists obtained, also gave a verdict on the university’s seven-floor library under construction, which collapsed.
According to the report, seven major concerned stakeholders in the matter including the governing council chairman, Wale Babalakin; university’s vice-chancellor, Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, and representatives of Dutum Company Limited, Landmark Integrated Technologies Limited, CPMS Limited, Tubee Consult and Interactive Engineering Consult Limited, made written submissions and gave relevant documents to the committee in the course of its assignment.
The report also said there is no evidence to support the allegation that Mr.Babalakin had planned to take over the chairmanship of the university’s tenders’ board. It, however, commended the council chairman for his cash donations to the institution and instructed the university management to acknowledge the support and issues receipts.
It would be recalled that following the widespread report of conflicts between the university management and the governing council leadership over allegations of fraudulent practices bordering on contracts award and clash of interests, the House of Representatives had ordered its committee to wade in and submit the report of its findings within weeks.
The committee, which sat with relevant stakeholders and visited the institution for on-the-spot assessment of the situation, and particularly the collapsed library, noted that communication gap between the university management and the governing council had led to the crisis.
