Nasarawa Universal Basic Education Board, A Cesspool Of Corruption-EFCC/ICPC

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Rabiu Omaku

The reason for the recent visits of the two known anti-graft agencies, The Economic and Financial Crime Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission to the Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board, may not be far from the many scandals surrounding the whereabouts of money that was released by the Universal Basic Education Commission to NSUBEB.

The recent visits of the two anti-graft agencies revealed that there was no official audit report available to the visiting external auditors from the headquarter of Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, There are indications that many heads will roll over the way and manner monies collected from UBEC were expended without financial statement.

There has been fire on the mountain since the visit as the few directors handling the finances of the board has a clean financial dealings, insider hinted that only the Executive Chairman, Abdulkarim Muhammad would come out clean from the financial mess that is rocking NSUBEB.

For the second time the chairman of the board is receiving encomium for his exemplary leadership style, it would be recalled that the fourth session of the Nasarawa State House of Assembly vindicated the chairman Mal. Abdulkarim for his zero tolerance to corruption.

The chairman was exonerated by the members of the committee following a complaint written by someone to probe some key players of the board including the chairman. The investigation fingered closed relatives of the Executive Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura’s involvement in the hydra headed corrupt practices that has engulfed NSUBEB and the disappearance of N1.6bn released for the supply of desk/chairs to junior secondary and primary schools in the state.

Universalreporters247.com learnt from a source within the board that the Governor’s allies /acolytes are among those draining NSUBEB dry of her hard-earned resource.More so it is learnt that other negative effect of the misguided financial incongruity has also degraded the board of her integrity as the anti graft agencies during their visit ranked Nasarawa State Universal Basic Education Board as a cesspool of corruption.

The N1.6bn chairs and desk scandal maybe not unconnected to the financial impediment witnessed by the board, The financial crisis within NSUBEB range from the slashing of its overhead cost by the state Government, as  in the last six months no workshop was organized for either teachers or directors as it is being done before.

A source from NSUBEB unravelled that the consultant of NSUBEB, Usman Sarki Ahmed the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of USA group of company diverted the sum of N600 million meant for the purchase of desk/chairs for junior secondary and primary school in the state. The Governor’s associates did not only divert the money but also hijacked the contract for the supply of 65,000 chairs/desk from the Nasarawa State Relevant Technology Board.

Universalreporters247.com gathered that N1.6billion was released into the account of Relevant Technology board but the secretary of the board, Yakubu Ahmed (AKA Y.A) made a withdrawal of over N200m on behalf of USA. The phantom company with its headquarter in China, watchers and onlookers continued to ponder over the whereabouts of the billions as money was released but no complete supply of chairs were made.

Further investigation from the office of the Director Procurement revealed that chairs supply by the board was not up to 17,000 desk/chair, but no concrete information about when the remaining supply would be made, the questions that needed answers are, will the recalcitrant go scot free with the disappearance of N1.6bn? This translated to the gory conditions of Nasarawa School as pupils sits on bare floor which has become a part of learning in public schools in Nasarawa state.

Further investigation unfold that even the secretary of the board, Yakubu Ahmed said he did not have the authentic document of the number of seats supplied two years after the awards of the contract.

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