FORMER SUG CHIEF JUDGE 'OBINNA AGAZIE' EMBEZZLEMENTS' SCANDAL HITS THE NATION NEWSPAPER

Culled: THE NATION NEWSPAPER (22-8-2013)

The student union govt. was hit by a scandal...

As the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, the Anambra State
capital, was rounding off its second semester, the Students Union
Government (SUG) was hit by a scandal. UCHE ANICHEBE writes on the
petition against the outgoing head of the union's judicial arm.
THEIR tenure took off on a promising note. But as they were leaving
office, members of the Students' Union Government (SUG) of the Nnamdi
Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, the Anambra State capital, ran
into a storm. The outgoing Chief Judge, Obinna Agazie, is being
accused of corruption.
In a petition, Obinna was accused of impersonation before his
resumption as Chief Judge. Obinna was also accused of embezzling funds
accrued to the union's judicial arm during his tenure.
Muoneme Ifesinachi, Nwabueze Cletus and Chilee Paschal, who are all
members of the Editorial Committee constituted by Obinna wrote the
petition.
Ifeanacho Onwubuya, Obinna's Personal Assistant, also accused his boss
of corruption.
The document, which was obtained by CAMPUSLIFE, reads: "The last
administration witnessed financial malpractice by thepast SUG Chief
Judge of the Judicial Council, Mr Obinna Agazie, now a final year
student of the Faculty of Law. Our tenure with Obinna Agazie started
on December 2011 and endedon December 13, 2012.
Obinna had, on different occasions, before he became the Chief Judge,
impersonated the SUG president and had a lot ofcourtesy and official
visits to eminent Nigerians and political officers in the name of
sourcing funds for running the judiciary of our noble university. A
lot of money was realised from those visits, but Obinna diverted the
funds for private use."
According to the petitioners, the money allegedly embezzled by Obinna
was put at N1.2 million, an amount said to be gottenfrom series of
courtesy visits to political office holders, commissioners, banks,
hospitals and hotels in Anambra State.
According to one of the petitioners, Obinna's conduct typified abuse
of office and privilege. He said: "It is a pity that corruption has
found its way into this small community of ours. What we, the
petitioners, seek is justice and nothing more. I have been having
correspondence with the Dean of Student Affairs, who is one of the
persons to whom the petition was submitted. He assured us that Obinna
would be summoned to explain his action."
A member of the union, who pleaded for anonymity, noted: "I am very
disappointed by the allegation. I worked with Obinna, and accompanied
him to places where the money were gotten. Little did I know that the
funds were not going to the union's pocket. Obinna is a trustee of the
office he holds, and I think his action has breached the trust. When I
read about the scandal in Aluta newspaper, I was deeply disappointed.
This is a clear instance of breach of trust."
Agazie denied the content of the petition, dismissing the petitioners
as being envious. He said the petition was written because of his
achievement and rising profile in students' unionism. "The petitioners
were motivated to file the petition because of bad belle. They wanted
to reap where they did not sow, which was why they filed the petition
based on my refusal to allow them have their way. He who asserts must
be able to prove, and as far as I am concerned, they have so far been
unable to prove their case," he said.