UNN SUG president impeached ‘for looting N4m’

Ezeja Joshua, president of the student union government at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has been impeached for allegedly looting N4 million from the union’s account. Ezeja was impeached alongside two other members of his cabinet, the vice president and director of transport. Tabugbo Kenneth, speaker of the house, in a statement, said: “This is to bring to the notice of all lions and lionesses, that the house of representatives in her sitting held on October 30, 2017, upon deliberations on the allegations of financial misappropriation, embezzlement of union funds and crass incompetence put before it, has come to the following conclusions: “Having had before it, indubitable evidence of embezzlement of funds to the tune of over 4 million naira by the SUG president, the president stands impeached. “On the grounds of financial misappropriation and embezzlement of union funds, denigration and complete disregard of the house, the vice-president stands impeached. “Guilty of financial misappropriation, commercialization of union properties without the consent of the house, crass negligence and ineptitude, the director of transport stands impeached. “All impeached officials are forthwith, denied all privileges of membership of the executive council and mandated to return all properties of the union to the secretary-general, within 7 days.” A student of the university, who identified himself as Divine, said the president did not follow due process in making withdrawals from the union’s account. “The student union president, vice president and some other executives have been impeached. The president was said to be making withdrawals from the SUG account without the knowledge of the house of representatives. He was said to have used the money for trips and some activities but he didn’t do it officially because he didn’t follow due process,” he said. “The due process is to go through the house of reps, the house of reps approves and then withdrawals can be made but because he has access to the account, he gets to the account and makes any withdrawal he wants. “The house of reps are complaining that their speaker has been bribed several times as not to raise the case in the house. So that is the information I have.” When TheCable Lifestyle contacted the welfare secretary of the union, Victor Udeogo, he said the president was not given a fair hearing. “The matter has not been concluded but he has not been given a fair hearing. There are a lot of allegations against him but it has not been concluded,” he said. “If you call me by weekend, then I can give you more information because the house is sitting on Friday. One of the allegations against him is embezzlement and other allegations that I don’t have off hand now so by weekend we will talk. If the president is back by then, he should be at the sitting on Friday.” Efforts to get Ezeja to comment proved abortive as his number could not be reached.]]>