Editors’ Note: This publication, detailing allegations of financial misconduct by Mr Emmanuel Olawoye, the University of Ibadan Students’ Union Assistant General Secretary, is based on the findings and reports of the Audit Committee of the Students’ Representative Council (UI’SRC), 12th Assembly.

A 24-page analysis by the Audit Committee of the University of Ibadan Students’ Representative Council (UI’SRC) 12th Assembly, has revealed multiple allegations of financial misconduct against the Students’ Union Assistant General Secretary, Emmanuel Olawoye.

A copy of the report obtained by the Union of Campus Journalists, signed by Honorable Azeezat Omotayo Awodele (Chairman) and Honorable Omojola Tomiloba David (Secretary) of the Audit Committee, was presented to the 12th Assembly during its third ordinary sitting on Saturday, September 13, 2025.

The report disclosed alarming details surrounding the Students’ Union Freshers’ Week, which was held between May 11 and 17, 2025. At the time of this report, the UI’SRC Audit Committee’s findings had been forwarded to the Disciplinary Committee of the 12th Assembly for further investigation and possible sanctions.

A step-by-step review of the Audit Committee report, analysed below, highlights grim discrepancies between the approved or authorised budget by the 12th Assembly for the Freshers’ Week event, the Project and Event Monitoring Committee’s findings during the occasion of the held events, and the AGS’s expenditure claims.

Stating the conflicting observations, the Audit Committee discovered inflated cost, ghost expenditures, possible diversion of funds, fabrication of events and suspicious cover-ups by the Assistant General Secretary, Mr Olawoye.

For easy comprehension, the report was divided into UI’SRC finance committee approved amount, project and event monitoring committee discovered actual expenditure, and acclaimed used-cost by the Assistant General Secretary.

Day 1: Awareness Rally and Movie Night – Financial Figures Dancing in Deception’s Attire 

For the first-day event, while ₦523,500 was approved, the Project and Event Monitoring Committee confirmed only ₦239,500 as spent, whereas Mr Olawoye claimed an expenditure of ₦490,000 was used for the event.

A study of the report revealed that Mr Olawoye claimed he spent N40,000 for the service of a hypeman, whereas the project and event monitoring committee reaching the bearer of the rendered service, confirmed that only a half of the claimed amount was truly spent.

Another item, mats used during the occasion, was also poorly accounted for, as Mr Olawoye claimed to have spent ₦30,000 for an unspecified number of mats, whereas the Project and Event Monitoring Committee, after confirming with the provider, reported the cost as only ₦12,000.

Mr Olawoye also tampered with and exhausted the miscellaneous sum of ₦10,000, usually set aside for unpredictable expenses that do not fall into a specific budget category. When questioned, he claimed to have spent only ₦5,000, contrary to the Project and Event Monitoring Committee’s findings.

When Mr Olawoye’s listed expenses in the final report were totaled, they amounted to ₦557,500, exceeding the misguiding ₦490,000 he had reported as the incurred expenses for the first day of the events.

This figure exceeds the finance-approved budget by ₦34,000. Additionally, the difference between the AGS’s claimed expenditure and the Monitoring Committee’s findings is a difference of the sum of ₦318,000.

The Audit Committee flagged these “as a serious case of financial inconsistencies and possible financial misappropriation and misrepresentation”.

Day 2: Orientation day one – Cooked Claims of Expenditure 

For the second-day event, tagged “Orientation Day 1,” the UI’SRC approved ₦1,154,200, of which the Project and Event Monitoring Committee confirmed only ₦1,026,200 as spent, while Mr Olawoye insisted he spent the entire approved amount.

Meanwhile, the Project and Event Monitoring Committee uncovered several contradictions, including an item listed as DJ and Sound, which the Assistant General Secretary claimed cost ₦100,000 as approved, but was found to have actually cost ₦50,000.

Another item, graphics, which Mr Olawoye claimed cost ₦30,000 as approved, was found to have actually cost only ₦10,000; notably, while the authorized rate was ₦5,000 per unit, the Monitoring Committee confirmed only two graphics, contrary to the AGS’s false claim of ₦30,000.

“There is a difference of ₦128,000 between the AGS report and the project and event monitoring report. This further adds to the case of financial inconsistency, financial misappropriation and misrepresentation,” the Audit Committee noted.

Day 3 Orientation day 2 – A Day SU President and Oratory – More Doctored Figures 

On the third day, the item listed as “DJ and Sound,” which the Assistant General Secretary claimed cost ₦100,000 as approved, was found to have actually cost only ₦50,000. Similarly, refreshments for attendees, approved at ₦585,200, were discovered to have cost only ₦507,250.

For an unspecified number of graphics, the AGS reported spending ₦25,000 as approved, but the Project and Event Monitoring Committee confirmed that only ₦10,000 was actually spent.

The Audit Committee stated, “There is a difference of ₦213,550 between the AGS report and monitoring report. The Audit Committee also noticed that the sum of ₦150,000, which was approved and budgeted for prizes was not utilized as stated.”

“Instead, the actual items purchased were plaques worth ₦40,000 with no clear explanation provided for the ₦110,000. This also raises concern about budget mismanagement and lack of transparency in utilisation of funds,” it added.

Day 4 Freebies Arena – Ghostly Figures 

Six canopies were approved at a cost of ₦36,000, but the Project and Event Monitoring Committee confirmed only two canopies, valued at ₦12,000, while the AGS claimed he used four canopies at ₦24,000.

“There is a difference of ₦21000 between the AGS report and the project and event monitoring committee report. The Audit Committee also noticed that the number of canopies were inconsistent across the three reports (2 vs 4 vs 6).”

“Also, the project and event monitoring committee did not report graphics and the food for logistics was less by ₦4,000. This indicates a strong likelihood of ghost expenditures,” the Audit Committee stated.

Day 5: Sports and Treasure Hunt – AGS Puffed-Up Expenditure Figures

The finance-approved budget for the day was ₦266,750, with the Monitoring Committee confirming ₦221,250 as spent, but the AGS insisted he spent the full ₦266,750 as approved. A discrepancy of ₦45,500 when compared with the Monitoring Committee’s report was discovered.

“The monitoring committee showed a leaner cost than the AGS, particularly on medals and logistics. This continues the trend of financial inconsistencies and further strengthens the case of financial misappropriation,” the Audit Committee noted.

Day 6: Gyration – Sponsored Items Reborn as Expenditures

There were no corresponding items across the reports for Day 6. While the finance-approved budget was ₦194,500, the Monitoring Committee reported actual spending of only ₦5,000. The AGS, however, claimed ₦190,000 was spent.

Upon investigation, the Audit Committee discovered that the event was fully sponsored by Campus Rave, and the only expense incurred by the Union was ₦5,000 for graphics. This leaves ₦189,500 currently unaccounted for, directly contradicting the AGS’s claim.

Day 7: Variety Night and Pageantry – Bloated Figures and Sloppy Records

For generator, lighting, and decoration, ₦80,000 was approved and confirmed as fully spent by the Monitoring Committee, yet the AGS claimed he spent ₦170,000, more than twice the approved sum.

For the services of the host and co-host, ₦40,000 was approved and reported by the AGS as expended, but the Project and Event Monitoring Committee found that only ₦20,000 was actually spent.

Two crowns were approved at a total cost of ₦20,000 and reported by the AGS as expended, but the Project and Event Monitoring Committee confirmed that only one crown, costing ₦10,000, was procured.

Security was approved at ₦20,000, the AGS claimed to have spent ₦40,000, the Project and Event Monitoring Committee confirmed that only ₦10,000 was actually spent.

For general logistics, ₦268,000 was approved. The AGS claimed to have spent the full amount, the Monitoring Committee reported an actual spending of only ₦175,000.

“There is a difference of ₦403,000 between the AGS report and the Monitoring report. This shows funds were either overstated or poorly accounted for,” the Audit Committee said.

General Overview of the Allegations 

In total, the finance-approved budget for the entire Freshers’ Week was ₦4,666,460. The Project and Monitoring Committee reported an actual spending of ₦2,856,810. But the AGS claimed an unsubstantiated total expenditure of ₦4,376,360 was spent.

There was a discrepancy of ₦290,100 between the Finance Committee’s approval and the AGS report, and another discrepancy of ₦1,519,550 between the Project and Event Monitoring Committee’s findings and the AGS report.

The Audit Committee also noted that Mr Emmanuel Olawoye displayed behavioral misconduct during the investigation, deliberately withholding documents and maintaining silence that could have otherwise assisted the financial inquiry.

Reacting, the Finance Committee Head, Honourable Adeleke Oluwajuwonlo, confirmed that the committee diligently reviewed and reduced earlier inflated items in the first budget, which was presented to it before the Freshers’ Welcome week held.

Honourable Oluwajuwonlo denounced how funds were often disbursed late, which hindered the smooth and timely execution of activities for which the funds were intended.

The Chairman of the Project and Event Monitoring Committee, Honourable Ajayi Akinkunmi, reportedly observed that some items were reported at higher costs in the AGS’s expenditure report than what was actually expended.

Honourable Akinkunmi stated that the AGS, on several occasions, equally failed to cooperate with the committee, stating that he was “under pressure.”

According to the Audit Committee report, Mr Olawoye insisted that his expenditure report was both accurate and correct, dismissing the Project and Event Monitoring Committee’s findings ‘as inaccurate’. He maintained this despite his inability to provide convincing evidence for his said expenses.

Mr Olawoye claimed the committee did not properly verify the expenses and therefore lacked the real picture of the spending, adding that there was still a shortage of funds for some events, despite that the Students’ Union levy had been raised from ₦200 to ₦1,000 by the Professor Kayode Adebowale-led University of Ibadan management.

The Committee noted and faulted possible third-party interference during a virtual summon, as inconsistencies in Mr Olawoye’s answers and a background voice suggested he was being coached.

The Audit Committee has referred the Union AGS, Emmanuel Olawoye, to the Disciplinary Committee to face charges bordering on financial misappropriation, falsification, dishonesty, willful negligence of duty, and obstruction of oversight.

This accountability report was jointly produced by IndyPress, AfasPress, ZikPress, History Press, in affiliation with the Union of Campus Journalists, University of Ibadan.