Serious allegations of financial misconduct have rocked the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, following petitions submitted by members of the 31st Student Senate Council (SSC) and the Union’s Financial Secretary.
In the petitions addressed to the Vice Chancellor and copied to several university and security authorities, the SUG Executive President, Eze Samuel, and the Senate President, Paul Ejike, stand accused of misappropriation of union funds, abuse of office, and obstruction of democratic processes.
According to the SSC petition dated 19th August 2025, widely circulated documents and leaked bank statements allegedly show that funds were transferred from the Union’s official account into personal accounts. Specific transactions cited include:
₦500,000 transferred on February 21, 2025, into an account belonging to Paul James Ejike.
₦450,000 transferred on July 10, 2025, into the same account.
Several other withdrawals and transfers to multiple personal accounts.
The petitioners further claim that as much as ₦60 million may have been embezzled from the SUG account, a claim that gained traction after posts surfaced on WhatsApp and Facebook pages such as Unizik Plus.
The petitions allege that all financial decisions and transactions carried out by the current administration violated provisions of the SUG Constitution (as amended in 2021). Specifically, Section 98 (2)(p) requires Senate approval before any union funds can be expended.
Instead, the petitioners accuse the Executive President and Senate President of sidelining the SSC, refusing to convene plenary sessions, and even showing up without the official mace, thereby obstructing legitimate legislative oversight.
In a separate petition, SUG Financial Secretary Comr. Ajajebu Francis Ndubuisi (Mandela) demanded his reinstatement as a constitutional signatory to the SUG account, alleging that he was sidelined to enable questionable financial dealings.
He described the actions of the SUG President and Treasurer as “gross misconduct amounting to abuse of office, misappropriation of funds, violation of constitutional provisions, and conspiracy to defraud the Union.”
Francis called for:
1. Immediate suspension of all financial transactions until due process is restored.
2. A thorough investigation by the Student Affairs Unit with findings made public.
3. Disciplinary action against the President and Treasurer if found culpable.
The SSC and Financial Secretary jointly requested:
Release and scrutiny of the official bank statements of the SUG account since the start of the current administration.
Independent investigations into both the SUG Executive President and the Senate President.
Wider scrutiny of all union officials involved in managing the union’s finances.
While the accused officers have denied wrongdoing—claiming that some leaked financial documents were “doctored”—the petitions have already sparked heated debates across campus, with students expressing concerns about transparency and accountability in their union.
Copies of the petitions were sent to the Dean of Student Affairs, NANS JCC Anambra, NANS Zone F (South East), and the DSS in Anambra State, signaling that the matter may escalate beyond the university if not addressed swiftly.
For now, students await the university management’s response to what may become one of the most significant corruption scandals in the history of UNIZIK’s Students’ Union Government.
