Former OAU VCs Might Be Imprisoned Over breach of procurement act

Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Former Vice Chancellors of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) who did not comply with public procurement act will be probed by theHouse of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement.

The Chairman of the committee, Hon. Busayo Oluwole-Oke disclosed to the management team of the university that those involved  couldbe imprisoned.

Oluwole-Oke decried the fact that the management of OAU could not tender important documents to show compliance to the public procurement act by the university and blamed the past Vice-Chancellors for not acting appropriately.

He explained that the mission of the committee in OAU is to assess the public procurement act as it’s related to the execution of capital projects capture in the budget from 2011 till date.

“OAU is not complying with the public procurement act and we shall deal with this as appropriate. This university could not even produce documents that could show compliance with public procurement act on the capital projects executed in this university. This is the fault of the Vice Chancellors who should ensure compliance.”

Oluwole Oke urged all ministries and agencies to get acclimatised with the contents and provision of the public procurement act and abide by it, saying the committee would report any institution or agency that failed to comply with the act to anti-graft agencies.

According to him, “we spent the last two years sensitizing and educating the agencies about the provision of this act; and in the next two years, we intend to really pursue the adherent to the provision of this act.”

“In compliance with the section 53, any agencies or ministries that violates the provision of this act shall be referred Economic and Financial Crime Commission and the Independent and Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission”, Oluwole-Oke said.