Panel uncovers N3.5bn irregularities in Taraba varsity account
The visitation panel to the Taraba State University, on Thursday, stated it uncovered monetary infractions to the tune of N3.5bn within the college.
The chairman of the panel, Prof. Josiah Sabo-Kente, who addressed journalists in Jalingo on Thursday, the college operated a poor accounting system since its inception in 2008.
He added that the college was being operated under the minimal requirements of the National Universities Commission.
The panel, subsequently, beneficial a complete overhaul of the college system.
Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, had, on December 24, 2023, constituted the visitation panel with a 12-point time period of reference to establish the challenges confronting the establishment.
According to the governor, the report of the panel would allow the federal government to intervene and reposition the establishment in keeping with the administration’s free schooling coverage.
Passing down the decision of the panel on Thursday, the panel chairman stated, “The college has since inception in 2008 operated a poor accounting system. At some extent from 2012 to 2016, the college operated with out a money guide, making it tough to reconcile the monetary data of the college, however we used monetary consultants on the panel to make sense of the monetary spending inside the interval.
“Financial infractions from 2010 to 2023 within the establishment reveal important discrepancies and irregularities, with the full of those amounting to over N3.5bn.
“This underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive investigation of the university’s financial management practices, including handling of statutory allocations and internally generated revenue.”
Sabo-Kente stated the sample and frequent turnover within the appointment of the chairman of the governing council with out a college administration had adversely affected the establishment.
According to him, the college was working 53 programmes with solely 36 professors, 45 readers and 59 senior lecturers.
He decried the event whereby some departments had just one professor and 18 non-academic workers, saying such was unacceptable.
Kente additional defined that the college confronted a notable deficit in tutorial workers throughout its schools and departments, with solely 609 tenured tutorial workers members in comparison with the 1,819 non-academic workers.
He stated, “Out of the number of academic staff, 218 are graduate assistants-in-training and 140 visiting, adjunct or sabbatical staff. This is against the NUC benchmark of 70 per cent academic staff and 30 per cent non-academic staff.”
The panel report additionally highlighted infrastructural challenges, corresponding to lighting, water scarcity, and inadequate medical amenities, amongst others and referred to as for instant motion to deal with the challenges. a
