A very senior staff of the National Universities Commission, NUC, Mr. Christospher Mayaki, has described as reckless, baseless, unfounded and unsubstantiated, allegation that he was engaged in N3.4billion fraud at the Nigeria Maritime University.
Mayaki, has therefore, through his lawyers, threatened a lawsuit against Pointblanknews.com, an online publication and its publisher for reporting the story in the May 26, 2019 edition of the publication.
The publishers said,
“In May 2019 Prof Maureen Orubide Etebu, VC Nigerian Maritime University, through the office of the Accountant General, and one Mr. Chris Maiyaki of the National Universities (sic) Commission, diverted N3.4b take off funds of the Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, according to documents obtained by Pointblanknews.com”.
Mr Maiyaki noted three points that underscore the malicious intent in attaching his name to the unfounded allegation.
He said that apart from mentioning his name in the first and opening paragraph of the publication, the Pointblanknews.com publication made no attempts in succeeding paragraphs to explain to readers how his person or office came to be involved in the mysterious transactions.
He said the documents attached to the publication did not bear his name, his office or his signature adding that the reporter never contacted him to get his own side of the story before going ahead to publish the false and malicious report.
He further said, ”The Mischievous conclusions and insinuations completely negates the fact and the well established workings of today’s Federal University System whereby, resources have for the past 15 years, been directly disbursed to the universities from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation without recourse to the NUC. It is also on record, there has never been any take off grant of N3.5b for this university.
”As it turned out some aggrieved politicians and dismissed staff have been stirring the mud water and using any imaginary enemy to settle scores with the Vice-Chancellor and the University, on financial and disciplinary matters he is neither directly nor indirectly connected with.
”His lawyers stated that, their Client Mr Maiyaki is the pride and scion of a responsible and reputable family, who has diligently built for himself a reputation for honesty, responsibility and distinction in what has turned out to be a time-tested, unblemished, outstanding and brilliant pubic service career spanning over three decades.
”He has been working from the platform of a solid parental background and sound core values inculcated with stern discipline, love and godliness, acquired and been credited by colleagues and associates with an aura of reliability, probity and professional integrity”.
”In all the many years of serving with the NUC and enjoying the confidence, trust and work interface with at least five (5) Executive Secretaries, the diplomatic community, a myriad of stakeholders and several Vice Chancellors/university leaders at the highest level of the Higher Education Space, Mr Chris Maiyaki has NEVER been accused of any misconduct, financial impropriety or issued with a query for poor service delivery or having fallen short of the best practice. He is renowned to possess a knack for distinction and at all times, found to be trustworthy both nationally and internationally, the reason why he is deeply saddened by the junk journalism and preconceived notion about someone they definitely do not personally know and have clearly ignored his antecedents, in their bid to connive with intransigent forces to fight the Vice-Chancellor of the Nigerian Maritime University, in a matter he definitely is not part of and which as we would soon find out, is a blatant LIE”.
His lawyer said, “if the organisation had bothered to carry out any investigations on this ungodly allegation, it would have found that, his client is not connected in any way to the administration of the funds of the Nigerian Maritime University and has no working relations with the other parties mentioned in the story and is not in a position to make procurements for the Nigerian Maritime University or any other university”.
He said the clear motive therefore behind linking him with such an ungodly transaction is to malign and destroy his good name and reputation.
This irresponsible allegation against our client has caused him and his whole family great distress. it has reduced his reputation within his community and work environment to the level of a common criminal, destroying within hours a good name and reputation he built diligently in 31 years of exemplary public service”, the lawyer said in the letter.
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