Oyo Polytechnic TETFund scandal: ASUP alleges illegal multimillion-naira disbursement and financial misconduct at Federal Polytechnic Ayede

The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) and other staff unions at the Federal Polytechnic, Ayede have raised serious allegations of financial misconduct, claiming that multimillion-naira Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) allocations were illegally disbursed without due process following the expiration of key principal officers’ tenures.

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TETFund disbursement scandal in Oyo Polytechnic centres on claims that senior administrators continued to operate the institution’s bank accounts after their official exit on March 15, 2026, allegedly facilitating unauthorised payments drawn from intervention funds meant for academic development.

According to ASUP, standard procedures governing access to TETFund allocations for Institutional Based Research, conferences and fabrication were bypassed, with no public call for applications, committee review, or transparent selection process conducted before the alleged disbursements.

The union further alleged that millions of naira intended for academic research and scientific fabrication were diverted, with portions reportedly paid to non-teaching staff who had no involvement in research or academic publishing activities.

ASUP Chairman, Comrade Taiwo Richard, described the situation as a “complete abandonment of due process”, insisting that the established framework for approving beneficiaries was ignored.

“There has not been any notice or advertisement in that respect for this 2026 publication and conferences,” Richard said.

“Even if it did, which committee sat over it to approve their applications before they could access the money? Nothing of such happened.”

He added that Institutional Based Research grants were allegedly disbursed in early April 2026, while conference and fabrication funds were released between April 8 and April 9, weeks after the exit of the former management team.

Leaked financial logs reviewed alongside union findings reportedly show a series of high-value transactions, including payments of over ₦5 million each for conference attendance and multiple disbursements running into tens of millions of naira for fabrication and research projects.

The documents also suggest that several payments were executed after March 15, 2026, when the tenure of key principal officers, including the former Rector and former Bursar, had legally expired.

Academic staff members allege that only a small group of beneficiaries were selected from the institution’s workforce, with claims that many recipients were non-teaching personnel.

One staff member, speaking anonymously, described the distribution as “secretive and selective”, alleging that more than 300 staff members were sidelined.

The crisis deepened after the newly appointed Acting Rector and current Bursar reportedly told union representatives that they had no knowledge of or involvement in the questioned transactions.

ASUP further alleged that the institution’s financial system may have been compromised due to incomplete handover procedures, raising concerns that expired access credentials could have been used to authorise payments after the leadership transition.

The former Bursar, who is at the centre of the allegations, has reportedly become unreachable as pressure mounts for him to explain the transactions.

Meanwhile, the scandal has triggered wider operational disruptions, with reports that Federal Polytechnic Ayede has been blocked from receiving its May salaries due to unresolved financial irregularities.

The union has pledged to escalate the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the TETFund headquarters, calling for a full forensic investigation and recovery of allegedly misappropriated funds.