The Vice-Chancellor of Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, is in the news again, not for anything different, but he has become associated with the same sordid acts. Information on the VC hobnobbing andallegedly having intimate relationships and carnal knowledge of female students of FUL within the confines of his favourite hotel located in Ganaja have overshadowed discussion. Our investigation revealed the Professor of History has areputation for hosting nocturnal drunken parties, an extravaganza held with his gang of friends in which young female University students are delivered from the Institution he leads.
One of the female students, an attendee, informed us she was invited by a friend for a night out at the NUJ hangout spot in the GRA area. And the student was astonished to arrive and see other colleagues, her VC, another professor she referred to as within management. She later realised that another of the older men was a friend of the VC from Nassarawa State University were all getting high. On another night, at a hotel in Ganaja area, the lady narrates that he began frolicking and propositioning me, to which the student claims to have succumbed. Scrutinising one of our sources reveals she was happy to speak to us on record as a friend of hers had replaced her as a favourite. To buttress how lousy and intimate the relationship between the girlfriends with Professor Akinwumi, they refer to him as ‘Psquare’ (aka Professor of Pussy). A nickname it is claimed he is called in banter by his randy pals and enjoys his girlfriends calling him.
Upon investigation, we have gathered these were the same sort of allegations that trailed him while he was with the Nassarawa State University that almost got him sacked if not for the efforts by the VC then to suppress the reports. A former colleague of his wondered if the FUL authorities carried out any due diligence before his selection – this would have come to their knowledge as his philandering with female students is well known in Nassarawa State University.
We gathered the randy VC, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi,had daredevil gunmen attack the location on one of his regular nights’ rendezvous, partying and drinking in the Ganaja area of Lokoja with his friends and girlfriends. And the VC almost got kidnapped if not for the efforts of his many security detachments of Police, DSS and Civil Defence, who exchanged fire with the shooters and bundled the drunk professor into his official vehicle and sped off. The knowledge of these escapades is said to be well known by members of the University Management and Council given the security complaints and reports within the University.
It will be recalled that the University Vice-Chancellor was confronted by the Governing Council on allegations of corruption, malfeasance in the running of the University and outright abuse of office. This led to the VC, Professor Olayemi Akinwumi, being issued a query by the University Governing Council and the National UniversitiesCommission. The VC we gathered escaped sanction after efforts of Kogi State elders who lobbied council members to save the VC from being booted out disgracefully. A source within the DVC’s staff lamented how Professor Akinwunmiwent round council members, screaming, wailing and rolling on the ground, begging to be spared, which some members took advantage of the opportunity and extorted him of millions, illegal employments, promises of favours and contract awards. Professor Olayemi Akinwumi is in history to be the first VC in Nigeria to have been queried for Corrupt activities within less than one year in office. Our correspondent gathered the prevailing belief is that the VC is not in control of the Institution and is viewed as a minion. He is teleguided and led astray by his self-overrated deputy on behalf of– a committee of self-serving and ethnic champions.
Within less than a year in office, the VC has reduced the JAMB cut-off mark from 180 points to 150, lowering thequality of students admitted for raising internally generated revenue irrespective of caution on the impact of such on standards. A recent visit to the University medical centre, when students who were victims of an accident at University gate, the staff revealed the lack of availability of hospital supplies/drugs led to students’ avoidable and irresponsible deaths. The frayed nerves of student leaders had to be calmed by compromising their leadership. The same complaints are prevalent in the departments where lecturers grumble aboutusing personal funds to buy supplies. Yet, the management squanders university resources on frivolities of University management such as the travel allowances for the large numbers of details/aides and staff that the VC, DVC and Bursar junket around weekly, leaving essential issues and mails attended to by inexperienced subordinates. Interestingly, TETFUND places of training and scholarships are the new reward system for staff, based on their affiliation to a particular leaning or cooperation, causing disaffection within the ranks.
Despite touting the recently contested University rankings that showed astonishing progress in FUL ranking, sources within the University reveal: even though the past administrations made significant progress in infrastructural facilities, promotions and recruitment of expertise, and expansion of the university programmes that have brought the ability of the University to move to the permanent site, the current administration led by professor Akinwumi with less than six months in office at the time of the ranking had no noteworthyachievement, especially in the criteria for ranking Universitiesto warrant such as a major change in positioning. The information at our disposal shows that the University bought its way through the ranking. It paid two and a half million through the overzealous and inept current Head of Department/Director of Quality Assurance in June 2021 to gain the position obtained and much-touted as progress despite no tangible achievement to show despite one year in office now. Messages and call put the VC’s official numberfor comments on the grievous allegations went unanswered.
The University Governing Council is urged to investigate these weighty allegations to return dignity to a system pervaded by moral decadence. We can provide documents,recordings and pictorial evidence to help if necessary.
Mohammd Yabagi Writes from Lokoja