DELSU: Avwenaghegha, Onoerhime, Oghwro To Head NASU, As Audit Report Indicts Oritsedere, 7 Others

By

Daniel Dafe

Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, Delta State University, Abraka Chapter has successfully held elections for the offices of Chairman, Secretary and Treasurer, who will head the union for the next one year and six months, completing the tenure of the sacked Oritsedere-led executive.

The election which held at Science Auditorium of the said university saw Comr. John Avwenaghegha and Comr. Isaac Onoerhime emerging as the Chairman and Secretary in a keenly contested election, while Comr. (Mrs.) Patience Oghwro was returned unopposed as Treasurer.

Announcing the results, the Acting NASU Chairman and returning officer for the election, Comr. Silver Ajaino admonished the executive members of the caretaker committee to work hard in order to restore the lost glory of the union in the university, adding that nothing can be possible if the union at the national level does not work with Abraka chapter.

He urged the executive members to liaise with the national executive body in order to enjoy their support.
During his acceptance speech, the chairman, Comr. Avwenaghegha promised to unite the union members, saying that ‘united we stand, and divided we fall’.
He added: “I will work with the state executive and the university management,” promising to prop the university management to tackle all the challenges the union is faced with, particularly in the areas of hazard and promotion.

Oasis Magazine (OM) gathered that the audit report from a 5-member-committee constituted by NASU in conjunction with Management representative to audit NASU Proper and NASFR/LS accounts from January 2008 to April 2016 indicted Lucky Oritsedere, Ngozi Zidougha, Daniel Ighorodje, David Ubini, Gift Egbeji, Edirin Ukere, Better Omomaife and Kingsley Adibeli.

According to our findings, the committee sat on week days for a period of 79 days from Thursday, April 21 to Monday, August 8, 2016 and reviewed the union’s account in Ecobank, UBA, Skye Bank, Zenith Bank and Fidelity Bank.

Due to lack of bank statement of account, the committee could not deliberate on Samuel Eyenubo, Duke Ararire and Emmanuel Onome.

The recommendations of the committee was for Oritsedere, Zidougha and Ighorodje, members of the immediate past executive to be held responsible and consequently refund the sum of N858, 000, N251, 000 and N30, 000 respectively. The trio were also jointly asked to refund the sum of N400, 000 which the committee said was used for selfish and deceitful gains.

A former Chairman of the Union, Egbeji was asked to refund the sum of N10, 318, 627, while Ukere, the secretary during Egbeji’s administration was indicted and also asked to refund N5, 821, 913.57. Others on the list of offence are Omomaife, Adibeli and Ubini, who were held responsible for the sum of N4, 603, 040, N237, 800 and N180, 660 respectively.

The election, we learnt, came on the heels of a letter addressed to the acting Chairman, Mr. Ajaino Silver and Acting Secretary, Mr. Israel Akpitaye, discrediting them from running the affairs of the union since they were ex-officio members of the sacked executive.

You will recall that a decision was taken by the union to sack the Oritsedere-led executive when allegations of fraud and embezzlement were leveled against the three principal officers.

Responding, one of the indicted executive members, who spoke to OM under conditions of anonymity said that another committee has been set up to look into their indictment, adding that they intend to submit papers to exonerate themselves.