By CHIMEZIE ANASO

Some members of staff of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU) have petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged contract racketeering and abuse of office by the Acting Vice Chancellor, Prof. Kate Omenugha.

The staff In a petition signed on their behalf by Mr Joseph Onu, Managing Consultant at Shield and Sword Consult, Legal Practitioners, said that the vice chancellor did not follow due process in the award of contracts.

The petition titled: ?petition against the Acting VC For contract Racketeering Amounting To Public Procurement Violation, Fraud and Financial Crimes? also accused Omenugha of awarding contracts to family members in violations of the Public Procurement Act 2007.

The petitioners said that they had concrete evidences to prove the allegations being levelled against the vice chancellor.

?She has flagrantly abused her office, and indulged in financial rascality through the splitting and awarding of contracts for personal gains.

?Due process was not followed in splitting and awarding the contracts for 2024 TETFund Project, there were no public notifications for expression of bids as required by the Public Procurement Act.

?The staff biometric capturing was awarded to cronies in total disregard for conflict of interest to a company that was inactive for decades,? the petition read in parts.

The petitioners further alleged that the facelift of the University Gate House, Igbariam Campus was initiated by the vice chancellor and her family members without input from the University?s Director of Physical Planning and valuation by the Council as required by law.

?The project had gulped between N65 million and N100 million while the solar street lighting in the College of Medicine, Amaku, Awka awarded for about N20 million in similar manner.

?This project has never worked in the college with the students left in darkness, the contract sum was paid into the account of the Vice-chancellor?s family member,? they alleged.

The petitioners said the vice chancellor through her family members took advantage of her office to enter a business transaction with the COOU, to sell only their family table water with the brand name KONCIO within the entire university premises.

?The vice chancellor circumvented the council directive and introduced another table water named B-ORIENT Table water and gave it monopoly of the water market within the University against the decision of the council.

?A further investigation and petition by a staff to Council on behalf of the shop owners in the University minimart at the Igbariam campus, got Council to once again direct the stoppage of the sale of B-Orient Table water,? they said.

The petitioners alleged that the money for the production of Student Identification Card which they claimed was diverted to the cronies of the the vice chancellor and cards were not printed.

?These are dues and service charges generated by the Students Affairs Directorate for running of the students? hostels and other student activities,? they said.

They also faulted the call for review of the award of 2023 TETFUND Annual Intervention, being the Construction of the Department Of Architecture building, describing it as a ploy to extort money from the university.

?Their actions clearly amount to gross violations of the procurement processes and undermines the proper administration of the university,? they said.

Meanwhile, the management of COOU has dismissed the petition as a calculated attempt to tarnish the reputation of the acting vice chancellor.

In a statement signed by Dr Harrison Madubueze, the university?s Public Relations Officer, said that the university was not aware of any petition against the vice chancellor.

?No law enforcement agency has communicated the university with regard to any petition against the acting vice chancellor.

?If at all there is a petition, it must not be unconnected to the ongoing process for appointment of a substantive vice chancellor for the university.

?It must be a deliberate attempt to stop her from being appointed, this development exposes the true motives of the faceless beings behind these allegations.

?Prof. Omenugha has spearheaded transformative change across various facets of the university in terms of values, infrastructure, research, curriculum and standing of the University, including community engagement,? it said. (NAN)

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