INTERVIEW: LASUSU govt. faces suspension over misappropriation of funds

Folly reporter crew meets with the Lagos state university student union’s Auditor General and Treasurer on the case of financial miss appropriation leading to their suspension. Hear what they have to say.

Interviewer: My name is folorunsho Abiodun the CEO of folly reporter can you please introduce yourself?

Respondent: I am Yusuf Nurudeen Alowonle, the purportedly suspended Auditor General of LASUSU

Interviewer: Nice to meet you sir.

Interviewer: Mr Yusuf Nurudeen Alowonle, the suspended Auditor General of lasusu, I confirm the fact that you were suspended by the Students representative council. How true is this sir ?

Respondent: Note The purportedly suspended auditor General

Interviewer: Alright sir, noted.Can you please answer my question sir?

Respondent: Yes, I was purportedly suspended by the spc at the last sitting.

Interviewer: What do you mean by purportedly sir?

Respondent: Thank you, By purportedly I mean the suspension was not procedural and it does not obey the principle of natural justice.

Interviewer: If I may ask, what transpired?
In the opinion of the SPC we were alleged to have miss appropriate the union money, I sum of 190k which belongs to the central account. However the money which was in the central account was accrued to the SEC but was paid to the central account. The SPC alleged us to have breach the provision of the constitution which says all monies in the central account is to be divided by the three arms of the union. Also, the section of the section of the constitution which provides that all capital expenditure above 10,000 must be approved by the SPC. These two allegations were legitimate but it has not yet been proven beyond reasonable doubt that the union financial officers were guilty.
The SPC then summon the financial Officers including myself and the president without prior notifications of the basis of summon. At the sitting I was request to give account of the fund and other information. I appeal that I should be allow to do my constitutional duties, investigate and publish the statement of account of the union as provided by the LASUSU constitution under section 18 which create the office of the Auditor General, then they can sanction if not satisfied with it.
My appeal was turn down, the parliament insist in their opinion that we were guilty despite that it has not been proven beyond reasonable doubt. They moved a motion, and second the motion but it was not established whether the motion has the support of the majority of the house members.
This in my opinion, is a totally usurp or hijack of the auditor general responsibility as such it is not in conformity with the provision of the constitution and the principle of equity, fairness and Justice.

Question: If I may ask, does SPC knows about this before the raised allegation, that led to the suspension?

Respondent: I don’t think, myself including the financial secretary brought the statement of account of the union to the parliament. An occurrence which happens for the first time in the history of the parliament in the past two-three years.

Question: As the Auditor general what steps have you taken ever since the purportedly suspension?

Response: I wrote a short note the speaker immediately after the suspension requesting the parliament to review their earlier decision as it is against the principle of natural justice and the provision of the constitution on issues relating to financial handling.

Questions: Mr Yusuf Nurudeen Alowonle, the purportedly suspended Auditor General of lasusu as aclaimed, What was the outcome of the short note u wrote to the speaker?

Response: The speaker did not act on it
If I may ask sir, is the Allegation true or not And to what extent have you proved the Allegation wrong?
The allegations were legitimate, but it has not yet been proven beyond reasonable doubt as to whether parties in question were actually guilty or not.
I am in support of the financial accountability campaign of the SPC, but the way they toe it made it look like a witch hunt on the financial officers of the union including the president.

Question: Address your position clearly sir.
I mean, it’s important we restore financial accountability into the union but to do that the constitution has spelt out what to be done by the office of the Auuditor General, but the SPC breach this process which made it look like a witch hunt on the financial officers of the union including myself and the president.

Question: Finally, before I round up the interview, I have an important question to ask you as an auditor general, how come there is misappropriation of student union fund?

Response: I can state emphatically that it has not been established officially that there was a case of Miss appropriation. It is correct to allege but it is wrong to conclude without proper investigation and establishment of truth. The parliament alleged us of miss appropriation of money in the union central account. But it has not yet been investigated whether the money was miss appropriated or not..
2. On the withdrawal of money more than 10,000, the constitution does not against withdrawal of money more than 10,000 it only Says when the SEC has capital expenditure more than 10,000 it must get approval of the SPC. These are misconception I think on the part of the SPC and as such if properly investigated does not warrant suspension when there is no ill motive. More reason why I said, the SPC hijack the auditor general duties because if the auditor general has been allowed to do his work, all these will have been investigated and verified.

Question: Finally, before the roundup. Do you still have one or two things to add or remove from your point sir?

Response: Yes, in addition I am of the opinion that we must begin to desist from a tradition which makes the SPC appears superior in all cases to the Executives. The arms of the union are to work together to make the union advance. There is separation of power and as such elected officials of the union in the executive arm deserve to be respected by parliamentarians and SPC has a whole.
That aside, I am not opposed to making the union officers accountable but I think we should allow due process to take place. Like in this case, it is the responsibility of the auditor General to investigate financial issues and report such to the union, then if the SPC is not satisfied with the report can now further inquiry and sanction. The SPC does allow the due process to be followed.
On the suspension, the motion was not established whether it has the support of the majority of the house members as such can not represent the decision of the parliament. More so, the allegations at hand as not yet been proven beyond reasonable doubt that union officers in question are guilty of the allegations.
I think it will be logical for the parliament to review their decision and allow due process to be followed. Thank you.

Finally we’ve come to the end of the interview…
Unbehalf of follyreporter crew and the entire populace of Lasu, we say a very big thank you for your time, effort and your responses…

Interviewer: My name is Folorunsho Abiodun CEO folly reporter can you please introduce yourself sir?

Respondent: Am Awoyemi Michael Oluwatosin Michael, A 400l banking and finance student, The 28th lasusu treasurer. It’s my pleasure.

Question: Mr treasurer, I am really interested in the on going suspension saga by the LASUSU SPC. I confirmed the fact that the SPC led by Rt.Hon Abdul Kareem Ridwan suspended you ,the president, the financial secretary and the auditor general. How true is this sir ?

Respondent: Yes, We were actually suspended baselessly.

Question: If I may ask. What really transpired sir?

Response: As u know Treasurer ,Fin Sec , and Auditor Gen, We deal in anything money or fund, We resumed office on the 15th of DEC 2017, and we were summoned by d house without notification of wat was wrong, We were called upon in d house on Friday to discuss , how well we have been able to handle our constitutional duties, which we all avail ourselves a bit okay. The Fin Sec was called upon to show the bank statement from d day of our inauguration ,which he presented to the house. He presented that of Dec ,Jan, Feb and March. We have 2 separate account of the union, the LASUSU central account and the Lasusu SEC account. The university management pays to the Lasusu central account bcos dat has been d tradition.

Question: Can you please differentiate between the lasusu central account and lasusu student executive council account (sec)sir?

Response: Lasusu central account is the account of the three arms of the union ( student executive council, student Parliamentary council and student judicial council)

Question: As the treasurer what steps have you taken ever since the *purportedly suspension*?

Response: Well , well well, Going from wat I started with, I have not found anything hidden in my cupboard and don’t know why they suspended themselves not me. No evidence of fraud, They were just using their idiotic heads to judge issues that has nothing to do with misappropriation. I am sad Mr speaker a law student could not use his so called head well. I think we should just wait until u see reactions

Question: With high degree of honestly, better still, with your sincere heart. If I may ask, is the Allegation true or not ?

Response: Very incorrect, Even d speaker cannot tell me in d court.

Question: To what extent have you proved that the Allegation is not legitimate ?

Response: Not yet, I have not proved anything for now.

Question: Finally, before I round up the interview, I have an important question to ask you as the treasurer sir. How come there is misappropriation of fund sir

Response: U know I said nothing has been misappropriated.

Question: The day u were called to the house were you able to defend the Allegation? If yes, explain …if NO, why

Response: I have no knowledge of where they got their info.

Question: The day u were called to the house were you able to defend the Allegation? If yes, explain …if NO, why

Response: I was not given d time to talk. D fin sec did.

Question: Finally, before the roundup…do you still have one or two things to add or remove from your point sir?

Response: Not yet

Finally we’ve come to the end of the interview…
Unbehalf of follyreporter crew and the entire populace of Lasu, we say a very big thank you for your time, effort and your responses.

The speaker, the president, and the financial secretary are yet to be interviewed. More details later.

Thank you

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