Nigeria: Uniabuja distance learning centre under probe

The Centre for Distance Learning and Continuing Education, University of Abuja is being probed over alleged mismanagement and diversion of funds, Daily Trust has gathered.

Sources at the institution said the Vice Chancellor Professor Michael Adikwu has set up a committee of four professors and one other person to investigate the matter.

The committee is headed by Professor J. C. Nwanna and it has since commenced its assignment.

A memo signed by Mr. Idoko Michael, the Principal Assistant Registrar, Establishments confirmed that the committee first met on March 22.

Daily Trust learnt that the Director of the centre, Professor Siyan Peter has appeared before the committee and had been questioned once.

Sources said the centre is the biggest sources of revenue for the university because it caters for hundreds of students in different disciplines.

However, staff of the university are expressing pessimism about the possible outcome of the investigation.

«We observed that this is a specialised investigation and we wonder whether the committee members are technically competent to handle such matter,» a source said on condition of anonymity.

/.outer-ad-container.responsive-aans-view-a-container

Another concerned staff also wondered whether justice would be served and referred to an earlier internal report which indicted the leadership of the transport unit of printing receipt booklets and lodging official revenues into personal accounts which could not be accounted for.

«The only action the University took on the matter was to ask the officer who conducted the audit as part of his routine official duties to apologise to the chairman of the transport committee for causing him embarrassment,» he said.

There are also other allegations of financial fraud such as the diversion of money paid by students for change of course amounting to millions of naira, sources said.

Each student pays a mandatory fee of N20,000 for change of course and, according to our sources, hundreds of students are involved in this.

However, a source said instead of all the money being paid into the Treasury Single Account another account was created into which 70% of the fund was paid. Only 30% of the remaining money was paid into the TSA account, a source said.

Fuente de la noticia: http://allafrica.com/stories/201604080659.html

Fuente de la imagen: http://cms.dailytrust.com.ng/cms/gall_content/2016/4/2016_4$largeimg10_Apr_2016_161559468.jpg