LASU Certificate Saga: Undercover Agent Absolves VC Ibiyemi-Bello
By Fredrick Wright
Facts have emerged on the certificate racketeering story going on at the Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo indicating that the current administration of the school under Prof. Ibiyemi Olatunji-Bello has nothing to hide.
The General Manager of WealthRoot company, Benedict Okohnma, in a statement made available to our correspondent on Monday, said Lagos State University had long ago had arrangements with an organisation, Wealthroot, under the immediate past administration of the university and commissioned the company to act as an undercover agent to unravel the syndicates that were perpetrating the satanic act of manipulating the university server and fraudulently imputing records of non graduates of LASU as students of the institution after a concerned and respected alumnus of the university brought a case to the notice of the university management.
It was further revealed that the crime in question was only committed through the university External System otherwise known as Satellite Campuses.
“It is very important to state it clearly that this crime and the manipulation has nothing to do with the full time regular undergraduate academic programmes of the institution”, the statement added.
Further findings also revealed facts that members of these syndicates had worked at the university external systems at one point or the other and thereby capitalized on the rush associated with the desire of the University to wind up the External System and clear the backlog of yet to be graduated students of various external centers (otherwise known as part-time students) at that time.
“Wealthroot as a company had understanding with the university with the mandate to understudy the mode of operations of the syndicates, understudy the process of recruiting their clients, all administrative and academic process taken by the syndicates to the point of clearance which requires to be done in person, work with security agents to wrap up the syndicates no matter their status or any level of external connection”, the statement added.
“It also stated further that the university also expressed their desires for a thorough job and this will naturally take a longer time in order for the company to gather undeniable evidence against the culprits.
“It is also worthy of note and should be placed on records that the university brought in the DSS to support the investigation alongside the university security guards as the operations lasted.
“The company was also charged to recommend measures to prevent such from further happening in the institution and submit findings to the university.
“As at the time the online media reported the matter, final reports was yet to be submitted to the university by the company but LASU management was always updated on the progress of findings before the assumption of office of the incumbent Vice Chancellor and same updates has been ongoing upon the assumption of the current management.
“It must be placed on record that we also observed that the University under the current Vice Chancellor has recently put in place some measures to fortify the certificate collection process in the university”, the statement said
He stressed that the current management under the leadership of Professor Ibiyemi Ibilola Olatunji-Bello, neither covered the matter nor shielded the alleged members of staff.
“The management is carrying out her obligation of the understanding between the university and WEALTHROOT and necessary support to the company and other agencies involved in the operations while the investigation is ongoing,” he stated.
