The Management of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) , has described the oversight visit of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the University as a proactive approach to promoting integrity in the managemenent of public funds.
The University in a statement made available by Olasunkanmi Olajide, Acting Head, Public Relations, asserted that the visit of EFCC to the University was part of the nationwide engagement following a directive from the Federal Government.
The statement read : ”Contrary to misconceptions circulating on social media, the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) today, February 28, 2024, welcomed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) operatives as part of its nationwide engagement following a directive from the Federal Governmen”t.
”FUNAAB clarifies that EFCC’s visit was in no way associated with the students but rather focused on evaluating the implementation status of various government-funded projects within the University.
The statement further clarified that the visit of the anti graft agency was not peculiar to FUNAAB as other federal universities would be visited as part of the efforts of the federal government towards ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of the ivory towers.
”The EFCC’s visit was born out of the government’s dedication to ensuring the proper utilisation of funds allocated for projects in federal universities across the country, which underscores a commitment to transparency and accountability”.
”The directive to EFCC stemmed from the Visitation Panels dispatched in 2021 by the Federal Ministry of Education to assess project statuses in federal universities”.
”Upon receiving detailed reports from these panels, the President of Nigeria instructed the Federal Ministry of Education to forward them to EFCC for further scrutiny”.
EFCC’s visit to FUNAAB marks a significant step in the ongoing process of ensuring accountability and transparency in project implementation within Federal Universities. The team that came to FUNAAB would also be visiting other Federal Universities in Southwest.
The statement read : ”This collaborative effort between the Federal Government, the Federal Ministry of Education, and EFCC exemplifies a proactive approach to promoting integrity in the management of public funds”.
FUNAAB reaffirms its commitment to upholding the highest standards of governance and transparency in its operations and welcomed EFCC’s oversight as a constructive measure towards enhancing the educational landscape, Olajide stated.
