By Osehobo Ofure
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]head of the Federal Ministry of Education visitation panel’s trip to look into several allegations of fraud involving the University of Benin and the Federal Polytechnic Auchi, tension has now gripped the managements of the two institutions, located in Edo State.Indications are that members of the panel who have since received their briefs from the Ministry in Abuja will soon be on their way to the two institutions and nine other universities and Polytechnics.
The minister of Education, Alhaji Adamu Adamu inaugurated the visitation panel a few days before Christmas in Abuja and listed the other affected institutions as: Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina state; Michael Okpara University of agriculture, Umudike in Abia state and University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom state.
Others are the Federal University Kashere, Gombe state; University of Abuja, FCT and University of Nigeria, Enugu state; Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Edo state; Federal Polytechnic Oko, Anambra state; Yaba College of Technology, Lagos state and University of Calabar, Cross River state.
At the University of Benin the panel is expected to see first-hand, all the documents relating to the allegation of graft which formed the series of petitions by some members of staff, received by the Minister, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent corrupt practices commission (ICPC).
The allegations range from procurement fraud to overtime racket and grand looting of internally generated revenue running into millions of Naira, some with the knowledge and active support of the University governing council.
In the petitions the staff had labelled the university, “a cesspool of corruption”, even as they called on President Muhammadu Buhari to beam his searchlight on the decay in the University which has the Emir of Kano, HRH Muhammad Sanusi, as Chancellor.
The petitioners allege a “N320million promotion arrears paid to staff in 2017”, but which was actually diverted at a time most members of staff have not had their appointments confirmed, not to mention promotion.
They have also referred to a N132million procurement fraud in three batches two in 2016 involving the sum of N63million and N96million with the third involving the sum of N231million purportedly spent on a contract for printing of security and non-security documents which were actually contrived.
Another petitioner alleged that of the sum of N1.7billion generated as internally generated revenue, mostly from consultancy services to federal, states and local governments in the country only about N700million was remitted to the treasury single account, TSA.
As at press time authorities of the University of Benin and Auchi Polytechnic could not be reached for comments
