Submitting its report to Governor Hope Uzodimma, the committee recommended the recovery of the Shell Camp land from Okorocha and his associates within six months and hand the same over to AIFCE.

The report which was signed by the chairman, Prof  Vitalis Orikeze Ajumbe and the Secretary, Barr B F Anyanwu,  regretted that Okorocha, as governor, used brute force including the military and hoodlums to snatch the land from the college after which he allocated or sold same to his top associates.

Those who benefited from the bazaar and have been similarly asked to vacate the land include two of Okorocha’s in laws, Dr  Uzoma Anwuka and Hon. Kingsley Uju.

READ ALSO: Tinubu speaks on death of military officers in Niger State

Apart from Okorocha’s inlaws, a former Speaker, Chief Acho Ihim, Chief Charles Orie, Prince Charles Amadi and Chief Ugochukwu Hillary also allegedly benefited from the illegal acquisition.

The committee regretted that Okorocha ordered the demolition of 101 buildings belonging to staff of the college and thereafter confiscated their property.

It therefore urged the Imo State Executive Council “to direct the recovery of all the lands belonging to AIFCE, which are now illegally in the hands of individuals and institutions.”

It further asked the state government to ensure the recovery of the land within six months and thereafter issue a certificate of occupancy to the college.

“AIFCE should take full possession of the vacated land and property immediately upon recovery while the Commissioner for Lands and OCDA should recover the land within six months,” the committee recommended.

It further recommended that AIFCE should pay the agreed compensation to Orji indigenes who are the original owners of the land while the Army should vacate the shanties they erected in the land and finally move to Obinze.

Responding, Governor Uzodimma thanked the committee for doing a thorough job and promised that the state government would take all necessary steps in accord with due process to implement the committee’s recommendations.

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Recall Mr. Governor that with the recent release of scores of candidates who applied for admission by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), and subsequent announcement of Nkechiyere Umeh as the candidate with the highest score of 360, Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, a 19 year old student of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi, from Enugu State, protested to the State Government that she scored 362 and ought to have been so recognised.

This has elicited interests and generated serious controversy and misgivings among the general public that the State Government in its wisdom decided to constitute a Committee of Inquiry to look into the underlisted terms of reference;

* Review Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s JAMB Results and associated documents;

* Conduct interviews with relevant parties, including Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, JAMB Officials and any other individual(s) involved in the process;

* Provide recommendations based on the findings of the investigation.

The Committee invited Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma, the Principal of Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, and officials of JAMB for interactive session with the Committee. JAMB officials led by Dr. Fabian Benjamin, the Head Public Affairs presented the detailed processes and procedures involved in JAMB admissions, the policy changes that have occurred in the release of UTME scores since 2021 and what specifically transpired between the candidate Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma with registration number: 20230639047FF in her quest to obtain her JAMB score.

JAMB revealed the different times that Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma made several requests to JAMB portal asking for her results at different hours, and each of these times (four in number), she received in her phone, same results from JAMB indicating candidate’s UTME Results to wit: Eng: 64, Phy:54, Bio: 74, Che: 57 with a total aggregate score of 249.

JAMB disclosed that the candidate was well informed of her correct score from JAMB. Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma had sent a request to JAMB with a different registration number showing a UTME result of aggregate score of 362, with Eng: 98, Phy: 89, Bio: 94, and Che: 81.

The results she sent differed substantially from the standard JAMB format where she got an appropriate rebuttal stating her real score of 249.

READ ALSO: Fake UTME result: Innoson withdraws Mmesoma N3m scholarship

Besides, a number of red-flags was also highlighted by JAMB officials showing a different date of birth, different Registration Number, Notification of results template that has been discarded since 2021, amongst others. It was also evident that even the centre name “Nkemefuna Foundation (Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development as it was known before now) used for the examination was also manipulated where the candidate used the old name of the centre (Thomas Chidoka Centre for Human Development) in her own manipulated result sheet.

In Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma’s submission, she owned up in the presence of her principal, and the Education Secretary that the narration by the JAMB officials was a true and correct description of what transpired. She also admitted to have given a manipulated result by herself unaided, using same phone Airtel Number. According to her, she proceeded to the cybercafé (Prisca Global Computers, Uruagu, Nnewi) where she printed the results she had manipulated.

The Committee tried to find out the motive behind her action, but Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma said NOTHING. In their own submissions, the Principal Anglican Girls’ Secondary school, Uruagu Nnewi, and the Education Secretary — Diocese of Nnewi (Anglican Communion) expressed shock at what transpired where in their presence, Mmesoma admitted to have manipulated her UTME results, deceiving the school, her immediate family and the State Government.

COMMITTEE’S FINDINGS

The results released by the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) with respect to the UTME score of Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma is 249.

The results paraded by Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma with aggregate score of 362 is fake as buttressed by the very significant and instructive variations in the registration number, date of birth, centre name and other infractions.

Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma admitted that she manipulated the fake results herself, using her phone.

The Principal Anglican Girls’ Secondary School – Mrs. Edu Uche and the Education Secretary, Diocese of Nnewi (Anglicn Communion) expressed dismay at the conduct of Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma.

RECOMMENDATIONS

That Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma tenders an unreserved written apology to the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), the School (Anglican Girls’ Secondary School, Uruagu Nnewi and the Anambra State Government. This should be done immediately.

Ejikeme Joy Mmesoma should undergo a psychological counselling and therapy

All prospective candidates for JAMB Admission should adhere strictly to guidelines, processes and procedures of the examination body.

CONCLUSION

The Committee of Inquiry commends Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for their diligent handling of the matter and the information supplied about the interface with the candidate (See attached) We hope that this unearthing of the truth as we have discovered will go a long way in correcting the sentiments, misconceptions, and deceptions that have been in public domain.

Finally, we thank Mr. Governor for setting up the committee and for the confidence reposed in the committee.

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Olawale, Managing Director of Prowess Engineering, made the revelation while responding to questions from Mr Akin George, counsel for Lagos State government.

According to Olawale’s statement on oath to the inquest, the late Mr Femi Osibona, Managing Director of Fourscore Heights Limited, had in November 2018 briefed his team that he wanted to build four-storey buildings of three blocks at Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos.

He noted that while working on the design, Osibona reversed the brief to three blocks of 14-floors (ground plus 13 suspended floors).

Questioning the witness, George said “in paragraph 20 of your Witness Statement on Oath, you said and I quote “Construction works on the three blocks commenced simultaneously with piling works.

“On conclusion of the piling works, Pile Integrity Test (PIT) carried out on the piles showed failure in 23 of the piles installed and we recommended that the failed piles be replaced.’

“Mr Olawale, which of the blocks were you complaining about’’.

Responding Olawale answered, “My complaint was on Block B, the collapsed building.”

The witness said that in the course of replacing the failed piles, Osibona requested that Block B be re-designed to 18 floors (ground plus 17 suspended floors) and his team received a reversed architectural drawing.

“When we redesigned the building to 18-floors I was told by Osibona that he took the design to the government for approval but I did not see the approval.

“The architects of the building site were Urban Prime Architects,” Olawale said.

George noted that in standard practice, a building approval would always be on a construction site as a reference point during construction.

He queried if that was the case with the construction at Ikoyi.

“We had the drawings because we had made the drawings but we did not have the approval but we had not seen the approval.

“We were only working on site with copies of our drawings and not the approval,” he said.

Olawale said that Osibona was solely in charge of the approval process for the three blocks and that his team based their judgment while working on the site on Osibona’s instructions.

Olawale said that Osibona, who was his client, also doubled as the contractor and builder of the project.

“We are there to supervise. Whatever he says to us to do we will do provided it is within the guidelines of the engineering practice,” he said.

The Coroner, Mr Oyetade Komolafe, adjourned proceedings until Thursday

Of the three high-rise buildings which were situated at Gerard Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, Block B (21-storeys) collapsed on November 1 killing 46 persons while 15 persons were rescued alive.

Source: NAN

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He said only sustenance of harmony could guarantee the realisation of aspirations of all residents.

Sanwo-Olu spoke in a live broadcast held at the State House, Alausa, on the state government’s position on the recommendations of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry on EndSARS submitted a fortnight ago.

The governor said the state currently faced the hard choice of restoring harmony or doing itself a great harm, urging residents to join his administration in strengthening harmony and put the state on the path of peace.

Sanwo-Olu asked residents to reject those fueling anarchy and suspicion, clinging to unsubstantiated belief that carried no weight of verifiable evidence, while choosing emotion over facts.

His administration, he said, was ready to facilitate better communication between the youths and the state’s security machinery to resolve issues before they become intractable.

He said he would be leading ‘A Walk for Peace’ in December to herald the healing of the land, extending an open invitation to the youths, members of the diplomatic corps, civil society groups, students and the media as well as other stakeholders to join him in the Peace Walk.

The governor specifically invited Folarin Falana (Falz), Debo Adebayo (Mr. Marcaroni), Dele Farotimi, Temitope Majekodunmi, Segun Awosanya (Segalinks), Adedotun (Just Detoun), Seun Kuti, Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu and Commander of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), CSP Yinka Egbeyemi and others to join him in the “historic march for our dear Lagos.”

He said: “Nobody will build this city for us. Let us show the world who we are. We are Lagosians. A people of great renown, driven by the irrepressible spirit of Lagos. It is a testimony to our strength and resilience as a people that, despite the huge losses incurred because of these terrible incidents, we have bounced back, with our economy as vibrant and virile as ever. I have no doubt whatsoever that our prospects are as bright as ever and the best lies ahead of Lagos State and Nigeria.

“We will make it easier for our young people to initiate formal complaints on human rights violations through the Ministry of Justice. We will also improve the coordination between the state government and the security agencies, including the police and the military. In this vein, we are studying how to improve security policy formulation, information sharing, and clarifying rules of engagement in times of social unrest.

“Just as we have established a mechanism to compensate all those who lost homes, businesses, and livelihoods to the violent destruction of October 2020, we shall also establish a detailed procedure for the just compensation of citizens with verified claims of police brutality committed during the protests.”

Speaking on last year’s EndSARS protests and the events that followed, especially the hijack of the protests by hoodlums, which led to the destruction of public and private property worth billions of naira, the governor said the government, the youth, protesters, the Police and other security agencies have learned the appropriate lessons from the EndSARS protests, particularly the Lekki Tollgate incident, with a view to averting any recurrence to the detriment of the state.

On mixed reactions following the release of the report of the Judicial Panel of Inquiry, Sanwo-Olu said his administration remained committed to the process that would bring a closure to a “painful episode” in the history of the state.

The much-expected White Paper, the governor pledged, would be issued later in the day.

He recalled that the panel was originally inaugurated to investigate allegations of police brutality committed by the disbanded SARS and in the aftermath of what happened on October 20, 2020, he decided to expand the mandate to include investigating what happened at the Lekki Tollgate that night.

He said: “As a matter of good faith and a sincere commitment to uncovering the truth, we constituted a panel of individuals that we believed were independent, credible, and representative of the various stakeholder communities interested in the movement against police brutality.

“Apart from the chairman of the panel being a respected retired jurist, various stakeholders including the youths, #EndSARS protesters, the police and civil society groups were represented on the panel. I am sure no member of the panel can claim that the State Government made any attempt to influence them in any way throughout the duration of its sitting.

“While I commend the panel for undertaking its task to the best of its abilities, it is however regrettable that the panel’s work and the leakage of an unauthorised version of the report have generated much tension. Sadly, a deep wound has been reopened.

“The heated exchanges among various shades of opinion on the report have unfortunately put us all at the risk of missing the larger picture; the fact that what we all seek in common is a land in which we are all safe and secure, law enforcement agents are trusted, and justice is guaranteed for all.

“We have no intention to engage in histrionics or further inflame passion on a matter that has generated intense interest and controversy nationally and internationally. Our decisions and actions will be based entirely on the law, the weight of evidence, and unblemished respect for the truth.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu, while expressing his administration’s commitment to end human rights abuses, said he had never been in any doubt as to the sincerity, patriotism and noble motivations of both organisers of EndSARS protests and those who participated in the movement to see an end to the human rights abuses by the now disbanded Special Anti- Robbery Squad, SARS.

He said it was also on record that the Federal Government accepted all the demands of the protesters, including the immediate scrapping of SARS, adding that the National Economic Council, NEC, also recommended the establishment of State Panels of Inquiry into cases of police brutality and the Lagos State Government was the first to set up its own panel.

He said: “I can boldly say that no State took the advocacy for police reforms and justice in the face of documented brutality more seriously than we did in Lagos. We have so far paid N420 million in compensation to victims of police brutality, in line with the recommendations of the panel.

“My good people of Lagos State, you will also recall that in solidarity with the protesters, I joined our youths at various points during the demonstrations, particularly at the Lekki Tollgate and Alausa.

“I received the charter of demands of the protesters and promised to pass them on to the President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari.

“I kept my word and passed on the demands to the President, who promised to act promptly on the issues raised.  However, perhaps as a result of entrenched lack of trust between the government and the governed over the years, the protesters responded to the government’s concessions with skepticism, and the demonstrations continued, even growing in intensity.

“Regrettably, what had been very well organised and peaceful protests were subsequently hijacked in different parts of the country, particularly in Lagos. In the ensuing descent into anarchy, many of our compatriots were caught up in the violence. Several policemen were killed. Public and private property, including critical infrastructure, were set on fire, leading to losses estimated at several billions of naira.

“At that point, I imposed a curfew to restore normalcy in Lagos. We had only one goal in mind: the maintenance of law and order, and the protection of citizens going about their daily lives. This is more than a legal duty. It is a sacred obligation under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which I swore to uphold,” the governor explained.

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Other members of the committee are Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, Mr. Segun Dawodu; Special Adviser, Works and Infrastructure, Engr. (Mrs) Aramide Adeyoye, and Permanent Secretary, Cabinet Office, Mrs. Tolani Oshodi.

Governor Sanwo-Olu said the committee would bring forward a White Paper within the next two weeks to be considered by the Lagos State Executive Council, pledging that the reports and recommendations would be made public and submitted to the National Economic Council, NEC, for discussion.

The governor constituted the committee after receiving the two reports of the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry on Restitution for victims of SARS related abuses and other matters presented to him at the Lagos House, Ikeja by chairman of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi (retired).

The two reports submitted by the panel to Lagos State government are on investigation on petitions on several abuses and killings by the Nigerian Police, especially the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, and the October 20, 2020 Lekki Toll Gate shootings during the EndSARS protests hijacked by hoodlums.

Governor Sanwo-Olu also reassured Nigerians, especially residents of Lagos that the government’s action would be guided by the law and in the public interest.

The governor expressed hope that Lagos State government’s decision on the reports would bring complete healing, reconciliation and restitution.

“I am going  to constitute a four-member committee immediately, which will be headed by the Attorney-General, the Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, the Special Adviser on Works and Infrastructure and the Permanent Secretary, the Cabinet office.

“The four of them will immediately look through and bring forward a White Paper within the next two weeks that will be considered at the Lagos State Executive Council and would be gazetted as a white paper coming from the Panel of Inquiry.

“We will ensure that the recommendations that are coming out that will be turned into a white paper and would be made available to the public. We will do it appropriately so that history will judge us well and we will have a document that will stand the test of time. That is what the tribunal law says, so that it will be properly documented and gazetted in government’s records,” he said.

Governor Sanwo-Olu who pointed out that the panel had operated independently, commended members of the Justice Okuwobi-led panel for a job well done and also expressed appreciation to Lagosians for their cooperation during the exercise, which lasted almost a year.

Speaking earlier, Justice Okuwobi expressed deep appreciation to the Lagos State government and all the stakeholders who appeared before the panel.

She also thanked members of the panel for their uncommon resolve to bring closure to the assignment and good team work.

She said part of the recommendations of the panel was establishment of a body to take over human rights abuses in Lagos.

Justice Okuwobi, who disclosed that the panel awarded a total of N410 million to 70 victims of Police brutality, said 235 petitions were received with only 14 of it being on the alleged Lekki shooting incident.

“As much as the panel desired to have taken all petitions, the ones that were not taken by the panel were those that did not comply to our rules.  So, in this report, we made recommendations for a body to take over human rights abuse cases in Lagos State,” she said.

It would be recalled that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on October 19, 2020 inaugurated the Judicial Panel of Inquiry to investigate alleged cases of brutality and human rights violations perpetrated by the Police and operatives of the dissolved Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

The panel was also saddled with the investigation of the alleged shootings that took place on October 20, 2020, at the Lekki Tollgate.

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Sanwo-Olu said the state government would not make an attempt to cover up the recommendations of the panel, whether it was in its favour or not.

The governor said the panel report would be helpful in strengthening true reconciliation and preventing re-occurrence of violence in the state.

Sanwo-Olu, on Thursday, spoke on the arduous task of rebuilding the state, one year after Lagos was hit by a wave of arsonist attacks resulting from EndSARS protests.

Lagos recorded a huge loss in assets and resources, following the violence that trailed the protest, as public transportation infrastructure, court buildings, police stations, private properties and iconic assets were razed by arsonists on October 21, 2020.

Gov. Sanwo-Olu said the panel was set up to look into allegations of human rights abuses against the police and also determine the cause of coordinated attacks on Lagos, noting that the panel’s final report would be fully implemented.

The panel concluded its sittings last Monday, 12 months after it was constituted.

Sanwo-Olu said: “The panel concluded its sittings about three days ago and has asked for time to put the reports together behind closed doors. We do not know the content of the report, but we want to say publicly that, upon the handover of the report, we will be making it public. We will not cover up anything. This is not who we are and that is not what our government stands for. We will make full disclosure of whatever recommendations that the panel will come up with. I assure citizens of Lagos that we will not leave anything to chance.”

The governor also spoke on the arrest of some youths that participated in a drive-through EndSARS memorial protest at the Lekki Tollgate on Wednesday, disclosing that he had ordered an unconditional release of those detained by the police, except one person who was caught with dangerous weapons at the scene.

“Yesterday (Wednesday), we saw a protest in Lagos and everybody that was arrested in connection with the protest have all been released, except an individual that was caught with dangerous weapons and who confessed to the police that he joined the protest to cause mayhem,” the governor said.

He commended the police for being alive with their responsibility to identify and isolate troublemakers from among law-abiding people who conducted themselves in line with the laws.

Sanwo-Olu, again, extended a hand of fellowship to the youth to be stakeholders in the development of the state, while reiterating his commitment to reconciliation.

He urged them to join the rebuilding effort in order to restore the operating capacity of institutions affected in the violence.

Speaking on the rebuilding effort, the governor said the destruction had slowed down operational activities of the affected public institutions, but stressed that the state government would not shy away from its responsibility to rebuild the facilities and restore their operating capacity.

He said: “It is exactly a year ago today when Lagos was hit by violence in the aftermath of the EndSARS protests. Lagos witnessed massive destruction of infrastructure, iconic buildings, transport infrastructure, police station and others.

“Today being a year after the event, there is no better time to say how difficult it has been for us as a state and how committed it has been for us. As tough as it is, the government will certainly not shy away from its responsibility. We see the incident as a challenge and we will fix it with everything that we have.”

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The suit which was filed Thursday is with respect to the investigation of acts of brutality perpetrated by the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, and other police tactical units.

In the suit, the police urged the court to restrain the Attorneys-General of the 36 states of the federation and their various panels of inquiry from going ahead with the probe focusing on police brutality.

The plaintiffs named about 104 defendants in the suit including the Attorney-General of the Federation, the National Human Rights Commission which set up the Independent Investigative Panel sitting in Abuja.

Others are the Attorneys-General of the states, and chairmen of the states’ panels.

The police, through its counsel, Mr O. M. Atoyebi (SAN), is of the view that the state governments lack the power to constitute the panels to investigate activities of the police force and its officials in the conduct of their statutory duties.

The plaintiffs maintained that the state governments’ decision to set up such panels violated provisions of Section 241(1)(2)(a) and Item 45, Part 1, First Schedule to the Constitution and Section 21 of the Tribunals of Inquiry Act.

The plaintiff therefore asked the court to declare that the establishment of a panel of inquiries by the governors of the various states to inquire into activities of the police concerning the discharge of its duties was unconstitutional.

“A declaration that having regard to the circumstances of this case, the attitude of the governors of the various states of the Federation of Nigeria, in this case, is unconstitutional, illegal, null and void and of no effect whatsoever.”

The plaintiffs also asked the court for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the state Attorneys-General of the 36 states from making or conducting any investigations, sittings, and inquiries and from making or conducting any further investigations, sittings and inquiries in respect of matters affecting the police.

No date has, however, been fixed for hearing.

Source: NAN

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The National Human Rights Commission’s independent investigative panel is investigating human rights violations by the defunct Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS.

The  chairman of the panel, retired Justice Suleiman Galadima, summoned the CMD and registrar, after it heard a petition filed by a woman, Chinenye Igwetu, alleging that a SARS officer, Insp. Benjamin Peters, murdered her younger sister, Linda.

Justice Galadima adjourned until December 2.

The petitioner on November 4 told the panel that  Peters shot her younger sister, who was a National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member on July 3, 2018 in Abuja, a day before her passing out.

Igwetu listed Peters, the FCT Commissioner of Police and the Inspector-General of Police as respondents in the petition.

Earlier, counsel for the respondents, James Idachaba, told the panel that the police was served with the process on November 4.

Idachaba added that there was need to invite Peters to appear before the panel.

He added that the police was ready to assist the panel to achieve its mandate.

In his submission, counsel for the panel China Obiagwu, SAN, who appeared for the petitioner, prayed the panel to summon the CMD, Garki General Hospital, Abuja and Registrar of the registrar of the MDCN to give evidence in the matter.

Igwetu alleged that her sister was shot in front of the Ceddi Plaza in Abuja and later died in Garki General Hospital.

“A nurse took me inside a room and informed me that they lost my sister. She died at exactly 6:10 a.m. I can never forget that,” she told the panel.

She said that she filed a complaint against Peters at the Police Service Commission.

“I want justice for my sister. I want my family to be compensated even though no amount of money can bring back my sister. She had many dreams,” she pleaded.

Source: NAN

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A commission will also investigate allegations that his administration was diverting N300 million of local government funds.

While the commission of inquiry on the assets has two months to submit its report, the one on the local government funds was given two weeks to submit its findings, the governor said at the inauguration.

AbdulRazaq, meanwhile, said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, had since begun their probe into the local governments’ allocation and disbursements based on his official invitation to the anti-graft body to look into the matter.

He recalled that the Kwara State House of Assembly had also started looking into the allegations to ascertain the truth.

The governor had on July 14th 2020 written to the EFCC to look into the allocations to all the 16 local government areas from the Federal Government, their shares of the internally generated revenue, and the disbursements of same to ascertain whether any money was being diverted as alleged.

The EFCC acknowledged the letter of the governor on July 23rd 2020.

AbdulRazaq said the inquiry into the sale of assets fit into his pledge in his inaugural address to look into the past only to the extent that such would benefit the public and ensure that the mistakes of the past were not repeated by present occupiers of public office.

“The setting up of this commission of inquiry serves to establish the fairness and legality of how properties acquired with public funds were sold or acquired by private concerns. This is to be done with full considerations for the rights of all parties to fair hearing,” he told the commission members in Ilorin, the state capital.

“Where any of these public assets are found to have been unlawfully acquired or sold, the government will take all necessary steps to retrieve such along with other measures the commission may recommend to avert such in the future. In doing this, we recognise that we are setting a standard with which we may also be held to account after leaving office. This is why I urge every serving public official to remember this day and act accordingly. In other words, this is not so much about those who may be caught in this inquiry but so much about those of us serving and others to come after us.”

AbdulRazaq said the administration remained committed not to mismanage local government funds or any public funds, adding that the up-to-date payment of 100 per cent salaries to the workers was due to the prudence of the government.

“Until our coming, salaries of local government workers have either been amputated or delayed for weeks with arrears that run into billions of naira. We ended the era of salary delays and incomplete salary majorly on account of prudence, discipline, and a determination not to mismanage public funds,” he said.

“I was therefore shocked to hear the allegation of persons diverting N300 million from local government funds since we came on board. However, rather than let such claims go unattended, we felt that the right thing to do is to allow an unfettered scrutiny of every kobo that has accrued to the local governments and how such funds have been disbursed between May 29th 2019 and now.

“I believe this will deepen accountability, establish the true financial status of the local government areas, and contribute to the debate on wages, local government administration and grassroots development.

“My Lord, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I thank you most sincerely for accepting to be part of this state assignment. I will not interfere in your proceedings nor will I authorise anyone to do so on our behalf.”

Retired Justice Mathew Adewara, chairman of the panel on local government funds, said the action of the governor was akin to inviting outsiders to probe his own administration especially that the probe was restricted to his own tenure.

He added:  “We appreciate your boldness and courage in setting up the panel. It is a commendable step because it is like calling on somebody else to come and enquire into your own stewardship. We assure you that we will do our best as contained in the terms of reference.”

Retired Justice Olabanji Orilonishe, chairman of the commission of inquiry on assets, said they would work as a team to deliver on the mandate as spelt out in their terms of reference.

Members of the commission of inquiry into the sale, disposal or unlawful acquisition of Kwara State Government between 29th May 1999 and 29th May, 2019 are Justice Orilonishe (retired); Job Kolawole Buremoh; Isiaka AbdulKarem; Safiya Usman; Salihu Yaru; and Mohammed Baba Orire.

Members of the panel of inquiry on local government funds are retired Justice Mathew Adewara (chairman); representative of the Department of State Service, DSS, Halimah Bello; representative of the police DSP Adekunle Iwalaiye; representative of the civil society (the Corinth’s Humanitarian Foundation) Titilayo Adedeji;  representative of the ICAN Mohammed Baba Ibrahim; representative of the Nigerian Bar Association Bello Aisha Mohammed; representative of the Nigerian Labour Congress, Asmau Apalando;  and a Permanent Secretary Mrs Sabitiyu Grillo (Secretary).

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The report was submitted to the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Eyitope Ogunbodede.

A release by the Public Relations Officer of the University, Abiodun Olarewaju, stated that the Provost of the Postgraduate College of the University, Professor Yetunde Ajibade, while presenting the reports, expressed the gratitude of the members to the institution for the confidence reposed in them and their ability to discharge their duties without fear or favour.

Applauding the panel for a job well done, the Vice Chancellor reinstated the commitment of his administration to zero tolerance for any form of sexual and emotional harassment.

Professor Ogunbodede urged any student or member of the university community to avail themselves of the opportunity of the open door policy of the present administration to report any infringement on their rights by anybody to the appropriate organ of the university for possible investigation and redress.

Accordingly, the university administration would present the findings of the panel to the academic and promotion committee of the university for deliberations who, in turn, will present the outcome to the University Governing Council for final decision.

The Vice Chancellor however thanked the public for their interest in the university, and pledged to always preserve the academic sanctity and intellectual integrity of the university as laid down by the founding fathers.

He promised that the university was unequivocally committed to making the final decision on the matter investigated public.

Motunrayo Afolayan alleged that the lecturer, Olabisi Olaleye failed her in “Diplomacy” because she refused to have sex with him.

Olaleye has since denied the allegation.

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