FG probes take-off grants to 12 universities

Minister of education, Malam Adamu Adamu yesterday constituted a committee to investigate how the 12 universities created by the previous administration of President Goodluck Jonathan spent their take-off grants.

A statement signed by acting permanent secretary, ministry of education, Dr. Hussaini Adamu said a sevenman committee was set up to audit the utilisation of grants for the take-off projects in the 12 new federal universities established between 2011 and 2013.

The former vice-chancellor of the University of Ibadan, Professor Olufemi Bamiro would serve as chairman with Barrister Kefas M. Magaji as secretary, the statement said.

Other members of the committee included Mr. S. L Abubakar, Engineer Mansur Ahmed, Architect Umar Aliyu, Mr. Freddy Esenwa and Professor Patrick Ehi Oshio.

The new universities were those in Lokoja, Oye-Ekiti, Ndufu-Alike, Dutse, DutsinMa, and Gusau. Others were in Kashere, Gashua, BirninKebbi, Lafia, Otuoke, and Wukari.

The terms of reference for the committee were “to determine the actual amount released to the NUC by TETFund as take-off grant for projects for the universities, identify and confirm the number of contracts awarded, including contract sums under the take-off grants, to ascertain that due process was followed in the award of the contracts for the take-off projects, to determine the amount paid on each project, including outstanding claims if any, to date, to assess the status of the various projects implemented using the take-off grants as well as to make recommendations for any other issues relating to projects implementation in the 12 universities,” the statement said.

The committee would be inaugurated on Tuesday.