Corruption, Mis-used BillionsI'm Not EFCC... Don't Expect Me To Probe Past Administrations — UNN VC

Even as many questions remain unanswered with regards to missing and misused funds, running into billions, at UNN, the present VC has come out to say it is not his duty to probe past administrations because he is not an EFCC official.

  Former Vice Chancellor, of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Professor Bartho Okolo
(TheLondonNigerian)

play UNN Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba, and Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Dioceses, His Lordship, Bishop Godfrey Igwebuike

The Vice Chancellor of the University of Nigeria Nsukka, (UNN), Professor Benjamin Ozumba, has said he will focus on developing the institution rather than probe past administrations.

Acknowledging the presence of many abandoned projects at UNN, pointers to past fund mismanagement and possible corruption, Ozumba said his duties as a Vice Chancellor do not make him an anti-graft official, Vanguard reports.

"I am not a probe panel and nobody should expect me to probe administrations before me because I don't have the mandate to do so and you should know that I am not the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC)," Ozumba said.

The VC said he will ensure that the projects are concluded, promising to source for the needed funds.

"I will only source funds to complete the stranded projects and continue to sustain the activities of the institution," he said.

"We are already in the process of completing some of the projects and very soon we shall put them to use".

Corruption At UNN

A few months back, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) revealed that it was "investigating the former UNN Vice Chancellor", Professor Bartho Okolo and some of the institution's top officials who worked with him during his tenure.

Also, in a petition to the EFCC, the the South Eastern Zone of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO) alleged that Okolo awarded "contracts running into billions of naira to non-existing companies" and urged "urgent and thorough investigation", especially because a lot of the contracts remain unexecuted.

Corruption: Fight Or Ignore It?

If anyone argues that it is unacceptable for a sitting VC to say "I am not the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission" as an excuse to look the other way.

They would not be wrong because it could be argued that one of the reasons why corruption still thrives in Nigeria is that people accused of corrupt acts are often giving no more than a slap on the hand.

This trend encourages others to try it out.

Therefore, the UNN VC owes it to posterity to ensure that he does all that he can to, not only probe, but ensure that those found guilty are punished in accordance with the law.

Failing that, he has lent himself to the corruption machinery.