By; ADAMA JOHN, Lokoja
The Vice-Chancellor, Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU), Anyigba, Professor Marietu Tenuche on Friday, denied both allegations of fraud levelled against her and pending court case by the alumni association of the institution.
Professor Tenuche denied any knowledge of legal tussle between her and the alumni in respect of a purported N31m legal chicanery that online publications have feasted on recently in a press briefing in Anyigba over the weekend.
To her, “the Suit No AYHC/03/2023 pending before the Kogi State High Court of Justice sitting in Anyigba, has no connection whatsoever with an allegation of fraud against the office and person of the Vice Chancellor of the University”.
Contrary to the purpose of Alumni Associations the world over, a disturbed Tenuche said that the Kogi State University Management has been dealing with a few individuals who, rather than seeking to pursue the ideals of an Alumni Association, resorted to devising ways of milking the university dry, at all costs.
“It is no longer news that the Alumni Association of Kogi State University has been enmeshed in leadership crises for years now, with two factions, all laying claim to legitimacy as National Executives of the Association.” she said.
According to her, the crises have triggered a legal fire-storm, which prompted the university governing council’s decision to review the University Law 2018, which gives certain powers to the university’s alumni association; the basis upon which the alumni association demands inclusion in the governing council’s meeting.
“The University Governing Council has directed that the university management should commence the process for the review of several anomalies observed in the 2018 University Law, in line with the report of the last Visitation Panel and other global Universities’ best practices.”
The miffed arrowheads of that faction filed an action against the university and made the Vice Chancellor a co-defendant saying that their claim in the case is that the University be mandated to invite their acclaimed National President to Council Meetings and that previous Council Meetings held to their exclusion and the decisions taken at such meetings, be nullified.
“On their demand for inclusion as members of the University Governing Council, the University has since filed our defence to the case and made a response to the motion for restraining order, while the University Governing Council has directed the University Management to commence the process for the review of several anomalies observed in the 2018 University Law, in line with the report of the last Visitation Panel and other global Universities best practices”, she said.
The University recently attained full accreditation of its programmes as virtually all the courses run by the 23-year-old institution have been approved by the national universities Commission (NUC), which gave its approval to the programmes during the last accreditation visit.
PAAU has since become a university of first choice for students seeking university admissions because of its trouble-free academic calendar since the ban on academic staff unionism by Governor Bello’s administration in the state.
