NBTE director, secretary bicker over suspension

Tensions have escalated between certain directors at the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) in Kaduna and the Executive Secretary, Professor Idris Bugaje, following the suspension of one of the directors.

The suspended director has filed a petition with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), alleging a campaign of harassment and other irregularities within the board.

In a petition obtained by the Sunday Tribune, the director accused the board of withdrawing approximately 200 million naira from its Treasury Single Account (TSA) with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) using staff as intermediaries.

The director also highlighted the disposal of official vehicles under a controversial swap arrangement, where executive and luxury vehicles were exchanged for second-hand (tokunboh) vehicles, which required significant funds to make roadworthy.

The petition stated that many of these second-hand vehicles have either been swapped again for office equipment or donated to voluntary associations, leaving few still in use.

Additionally, the director alleged violations of public service rules through the appointment of subordinate officers over senior ones and the unjust redeployment of certain directors believed to be involved in the ICPC petition.

He also claimed that the Executive Secretary had barred these directors from attending the Management Committee meetings of the board, following the establishment of a new NBTE EXCO, which he described as an entity outside the governance structure of Nigeria’s public service.

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In response, Professor Idris Bugaje dismissed the allegations during an interview with the Sunday Tribune, stating he was unaware of any 200 million naira in the TSA account, asserting that the funds actually exceed that amount.

He denied any intention to witch-hunt staff, emphasizing that he had not been informed of any ICPC investigation and that NBTE had historically partnered with the commission.

Bugaje stated that his efforts to combat corruption within the organization have not been well-received by some staff members.

He revealed that four deputy directors and one director had been suspended over corruption-related issues, including an incident where an entrepreneur seeking to establish a polytechnic in Taraba was defrauded of 25 million naira.

He underscored the challenges of managing over 700 polytechnics in the country and reiterated his commitment to enhancing the standards of polytechnic education in Nigeria through measures like online accreditation for polytechnics and courses.