Reps shocked as 2 Rectors run Federal Poly

By JACOB SEGUN OLATUNJI, Abuja

The House of Representatives, on Friday, was shocked at hearing that two Rectors ran the activities of the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, Bayelsa State, and consequently the institution could not produce audited accounts to the office of the Auditor-General of the federation for years.

The Acting Bursar of the institution, Mr Otobo Steve, revealed this at the ongoing investigative hearing of the House Committee of Public Accounts, that it was infighting between the two former heads of the institution that delayed the auditing of its accounts for over four years.

He said that one of the contenders was dead while one is still alive and that the incumbent was away abroad attending a 2-week workshop being sponsored by the institution.

Worried by this development, the committee summoned the Minister for Education Malam Adamu Adamu and the Executive Secretary, National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Dr Mas’udu Adams Kazaure and resolved to formally inform the President, Muhammadu Buhari over the activities of the Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, of Government.

The summon is to probe into how the two Rectors could be serving a federal government-owned institution in the same capacity at the same time and the officials in-charge of tertiary education kept on approving their annual budgets

The Acting Bursar said that one Mrs Radina and one of the lecturers who was a professor (now late) were laying claims to the headship of the institution hence there was a crisis that grounded the activities of the Institution at that time.

Chairman of the Committee, Rep. Oluwole Oke who was worried by this revelation ordered the Clerk to write to Minister of Education and the Director-General National Board for Technical Education NBTE to appear before Committee on Tuesday, March 12, 2020, over the development

He lamented why the institution should not submit its audited accounts to the office of Auditor-General of the Federation for a period of six years as required by the financial regulations and other laws.

He directed that the Bursar should submit the full names of the former Rectors and Bursars of the institution to the Committee for a proper probe.

He also ordered the past Directors of Finance and Accounts of Nigeria Institute of Leather Science and Technology Zaria to appear before it to shed more lights on the backlog of unaudited accounts of the agency. (Nigerian Tribune)