Posted by Osun State University (UNIOSUN) has denied claims that its Ikire Campus is housing an unfinished project supported by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) since 2010. These claims were attributed to ‘Lere Oyewumi, the Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate.
On Sunday, JANESCOPE acquired a statement from the University’s spokesperson, Ademola Adesoji, in which the latter responded.
Adesoji claimed that on September 1, 2023, a national publication had printed a statement attributed to Oyewumi, the Senator representing Osun West Senatorial District.
A statement released by the university read as follows: “The attention of the University has been drawn to a story published in The Punch on Friday, 1st September 2023, which claimed that there was a contract awarded in 2010 by TETFund for the construction of a lecture theater in Ikire Campus, but remains uncompleted till now.
The allegation that construction on a new building began in 2010 is false because Osun State University did not begin receiving TETFund initiatives until 2012. The University now has the TETFUND backing it needs to finish the one remaining Ikire Campus project, which began in June 2021.
Despite the delayed construction speed, the University is supervising and monitoring the contractor extremely closely to guarantee that the project will be finished and delivered within the revised deadlines.
The Deputy Minority Leader of the Senate paid a visit to the College of Humanities and Culture on the Ikire Campus on August 31st, 2023, and was impressed by the improvements to the campus’s physical facilities and the caliber of its teaching faculty, among other things.
We’ve found that only contractors with a history of on-time deliveries should be trusted with infrastructure projects, and even then they need close oversight.
Technical inspectors from TETFund and other regulatory organizations are known to make regular visits to our campuses in order to keep tabs on things and assess how we’re doing. We are pleased to inform that the University’s management has consistently earned praise in inspection reports for its competent handling of projects.
Over the years, the University has been able to use TETFUND money for things like faculty buildings and lecture halls, in addition to the Fund’s regular, one-off, and high-impact interventions.
After receiving clearance from the Federal Executive Council earlier this year, TETFund is now providing funding for the historic Senate Building. If our track record of completing projects was compromised, none of these would have been feasible.
Also, keep in mind that U of T is still one of the country’s select few colleges to pass a recent audit of higher education institutions. Adesoji stated, “We are well-known for our ‘by the book’ approach to management, and we remain committed to the transparency and accountability that have earned us an enviable reputation among our peers.”