The University of Benin (UNIBEN) is currently engulfed in a whopping sum of Twenty Million Naira (N20,000,000.00) bribery allegation involving the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Lillian Salami and the institution’s Registrar, Mr. Ademola A. Bobola.
The duo of the university were said to have received the sum from the Edo State Government in a bid to “frustrate the course of justice” in a case involving one of the institution’s former staff and now member of Edo State House Assembly, Hon. Richard Edosa, at the Edo State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal sitting in Benin City.
It will be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Hon. Richard Edosa of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as the winner of the March 18th House of Assembly Elections in Oredo West Constituency.
According to a release by a body known as Committee for Justice, Transparency, and Good Governance, which was sighted by INFO DAILY, Edosa did not resign his employment with the University of Benin within the time prescribed by law, hence he reached out to the Edo State Government to save his seat at the state assembly.
According to findings, in order to save the seat, the Edo State Government under the leadership of Governor Godwin Obaseki released the sum of N20m, which according to findings, was received by the VC and the Registrar in order to manipulate Hon. Edosa’s status of employment at the university.
“We have it on good authority that Hon. Richard Edosa in a desperate bid to save his seat at the Edo State House of Assembly reached out to the Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and pledged his political allegiance to him. The Governor in return promised “to help him”.
“In furtherance of the promise by Godwin Obaseki to Hon. Richard Edosa, the sum aforesaid sum of N20,000,000 00 (Twenty Million Naira) was clandestinely given to the Vice Chancellor and the Registrar of University of Benin by a very senior official of Edo State Government on behalf of the Governor, Godwin Obaseki. (Sic)
“This according to our sources is to ensure that the employees’ record in University of Benin is doctored and/or manipulated so that the non-resignation of Hon. Richard Edosa from the employment of University of Benin before his election into the Edo State House of Assembly as prescribed by law will be covered up, knowing that this forms the crux of the petition against him at the Edo State House of Assembly Elections Petition Tribunal,” the body said.
Contacted on telephone for a reaction, Public Relations Officer of the University, Dr. Benedicta Ehanire interjected enquiries by INFO DAILY, saying a former letter should be written to the university management for a reaction.
“Please I don’t have any reaction to this allegation, you may officially write to the management of the school for an official response,” she interjected