Student Leader Plays ‘Bet9ja’ With Union’s Fund in Danfodiyo Varsity
By: Bashir Turawa
The president of the Modern European Languages and Linguistics Students’ Association (MELLSA) in Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, Akindele Abdulqoyyum has been accused of mismanaging the association’s funds.
Abdulqoyyum, a final year student of English Language has allegedly invested the union’s fund in playing Bet9ja, an online sporting gamble platform. The fund which was deposited into his bank account by some students of the department was meant to cater for the International Conference of Students of English and Literary Studies (ICOSELS), which was held in University of Jos, Plateau state.
Suleiman Madugu, a 400 level student of Literature, who was present at the conference, explained how the conference fees were deposited into the President’s bank account by students who showed interests in attending the conference.
“Everyone must pay up to like N15, 000 if they must attend the conference. From that moment, people have been complaining that the money is too much because if we could pay N12, 000 for the one we had in Lagos, why are we paying higher for the one holding here in the North. People agreed to pay and we started paying into Akinscoat’s (as the union’s President is fondly called) account. When we calculated only those that paid N15,000 each into his account, it was about N120,000 let alone other people that paid N12,000 while some paid N10,000,” he said.
Madugu in his narrative detailed how the President was always dribbling them whenever they asked for their money. He explained how he was always trying to cover up by giving them different excuses, before the commencement of the conference in Jos.
“On Saturday morning, I called some of the members to find out what is going on. So we agreed to meet him in person. We were three in number that we went to his house and met him — it was Habiba, Habeeb and me. When we met him, he told us there was no approval of bus from the department and he doesn’t think it will hold. So we say if it’s no longer holding, majority of us that will attend that conference, we’re planning that from there, we will be going home.
“So we asked him to refund everyone’s money but he started complaining that he can’t refund everyone’s fund because the bank will charge him like N5 per transfer. At that moment, there was one Nazir from English unit that transferred N100 to him. At least N100 will be enough as bank charges to transfer everyone’s money to them. I even suggested that he should remove N5 each from everybody’s money when doing the transfer. One Saminu also transferred N50 to him. Then he complained again that they stole his phone but he retrieved his line but he cannot transfer N100,000 a day. He complained again that the guy that he put his sim into his phone is not around. He asked us to give him time till the guy returned.”
However, at that moment, Abdulqoyyum couldn’t provide them with the funds paid into his bank account and a student had to borrow them some money before they could pay the transport fare for thr participating students, from Sokoto to Jos.
“After he has agreed to transfer the money to us, I told Habeeb that we should start making a move. I suggested that we should go and book a bus. When we went to meet the Plateau Riders, they told us that the transport from Sokoto to Plateau is N3, 200. Habeeb paid the money for all of us, expecting that night, we will receive N60, 000 from Akinscoat because we gave him the account number he’ll transfer to. When he told us he couldn’t transfer more than N100,000, we agreed that he should transfer N60,000 first and another N60,000 should follow to make it N120,000. Everyone was even surprised at the type of account he’s using that can’t transfer only N120, 000.”
Madugu further narrated how they had to also borrow money to pay for the conference registration fees of students due to Akindele’s delay in transferring their money to them.
“When we got to the conference and we were to pay the delegation fees, expecting Akinscoat to send us our money. We were almost eighteen in number. We got to Jos around eight o’ clock and we were outside till around 12:00am waiting for him to transfer the money to us because the national body would not allow us in without paying delegation fees. Maigari borrowed us N20,000, Saminu borrowed us N10,000 and Habeeb completed the money and we paid the delegation fees. Even when we got there, the national body complained that our local chapter did not register with them and the registration fee was about N15,000 but the only thing that made them allow us to pay for the delegation fees alone was because we knew somebody there. The person graduated from our department,” Madugu narrated.
How the Fund Was Mismanaged
At a point, Akinscoat, as he is widely called, had no choice than to confess how he mismanaged the money entrusted onto him. He revealed that he lost the money to gambling while trying to recover some amount of money he claimed to have been forcefully collected from him by robbers.
“From the beginning, he just told me that he came to the school to withdraw N60, 000 then on his way back, area boys attacked him and collected the money with his wallet and everything. When he said they collected that N60, 000 from him, he couldn’t tell people. Even if he told someone like me, I would ask him why he withdrew the money because I see no reason why he should withdraw the money that is not for him. It was later he confessed that when they attacked him and collected N60, 000, a friend advised him to play Bet9ja with N60,000 but he lost. When he played the Naija bet and lost, you can see he lost N120,000. That day, we had no option than to call the staff adviser for money. The Staff adviser agreed to help and transferred N55,000 to us. We distributed the money to the students that said they didn’t have transport fare back home.”
Fatima Usman, a 100 level student of the department who also paid into Akindele’s account testified to the fact that Akindele played Bet9ja with their money, there by leaving them stranded at the conference.
“When I got there, the president was not there. I had to call him. When I called him, he directed me to the auditorium where we had the programme. When I got there they were asking me of my registration fee. I said I have already given the money to Akin. I gave him N10,000 because I was not following the bus from Sokoto directly. I took a bus from Abuja on my own.”
“So when they said I should pay N5,000 they had to call Akin to send my money. We were to give them about a hundred and something thousand. He was supposed to send everything but he sent about N80,000. He played Bet9ja with the money. He said he lost N60,000 and to recover that money, he played Bet Naija but he lost.”
A 400 level student of the department who sought anonymity and was present at the conference also affirmed that Akindele confessed to losing to Bet9ja while trying to cover up for some money he claimed to have lost to robbery attack.
“We actually faced some little problem there. Actually he said he was robbed at the first gate around is it 10:30 in the night or 10:00. He said when he was escorting his friend. So the two of them were robbed and collected his wallet he put N60,000 in.”
“What he actually narrated to me, to Mallam Mansur and to other people was that after the money which he was robbed of, N60,000, he could not find any way of sourcing for the money so he pleaded with his friend to borrow him N60,000. His friend now gave him the money and then advised him to do Bet9ja that may be he will be able to source the other money from there. He went and used N60,000 to play Bet Naija and again lost the bet. So he lost N120,000. The total amount of money transferred into his account, I think is about N169,000 but he was only able to provide N80,000.” He explained.
Reacting to this allegation, Comrade Akindele Abdulqoyyum refused to make clarification on the issue saying the matter has gotten to some extent with the staff adviser and the outcome would be communicated.
“Actually some things happened. I don’t want to make much comment on it. I’ve discussed it with Mallam Mansur and we have reached some extent. Certain things happened but it is not misappropriation.”
When asked if he really mismanaged the union fund and through gambling as said by the students, he refers to such statement as outrageous claiming no money was mismanaged.
“That is outrageous. Like I said before, you guys can just wait till Friday. As I’m talking now, I’m in Ibadan. So by Friday you will get the details but no money is misappropriated or siphoned or embezzled. Nobody in his right senses will collect such money for that kind of journey and squander it,” Akindele said.
Staff Adviser Speaks
Speaking with the Staff Adviser of the Association, Mallam Mansur Buhari, he confirmed Akindele’s inability to provide the students with their money. He explained that a deadline had been given to him to refund the money, noting that he must pay back the money.
“He gave me the excuse that he was robbed and he couldn’t pay up some of the money but I gave him a deadline. I gave him 24hours to produce the money but he pleaded to me to give him seven days which will elapse on this Saturday. So I will wait until Saturday, if he doesn’t fulfill the promise then I will take the next action but he must pay back the money. It is not an excuse saying that he was attacked by area boys and the money was seized from him. And he didn’t inform anyone until when he was pressed to bring the money,” Mr Mansur said.
However, a total sum of N109, 000 was said to have been mismanaged by the alleged student leader. The staff adviser added that the culprit has refunded the sum of N79, 000 and he’s to balance the sum of N30, 000. As at the time of gathering this report, Akindele could not be reached to confirm the refunds of the money which he allegedly mismanaged.