Prison Inmates Development Initiative, PIDI, a Bauchi-based rights group has dragged Dr Auwal Ibrahim Amba, the Provost College of Education, Legal and Islamic Studies, Misau to the Bauchi State House of Assembly on allegations bordering on embezzlement of the institution’s funds for self-enrichment.
PIDI in a petition against Dr, Amba addressed to the Speaker, Bauchi State House of Assembly, Hon Abubakar Sulaiman dated September 1st, 2021 and signed by Japhet Ambi Ikita and obtained by WikkiTimes, alleged that the Provost systematically denied students of the College the universally accepted rights to form groups and use the same for self-emancipation.
The organization cited how five students were expelled for organizing and attending a birthdate party in a rented hall located outside the vicinity of the college just as six other students were rusticated for merely expressing their feelings on the lingering problem of water scarcity on the campus.
In addition, the Petition claimed that the Provost demonstrated a lack of total understanding of the demands of handling human resources because, in a single day, he queried “27 staff of the college and barely 150 staff were given queries within a shortest possible time.”
PIDI in its submission said that some concerned staff of the College who are fully abreast of the shoddy deals and reckless handling of the institution’s scarce funds by Dr Amba alleged that he was culpable of shortchanging Bauchi State Government in terms of non-remittance of 10 percent of the total Internally Generated Revenue, IGR as stipulated by relevant laws in the state.
“After generating over 9,000,000 naira in IGR in 2018, the Provost only remitted 250,000 to the Bauchi State Revenue Service Board. He often defended his low IGR servicing to the state government on the fact that the College is bankrupt “in spite of the huge sum of money accruing to it.”
“As the rest of the community of the College like students’ hostels and the library continues to wallow in darkness because the College is not on National Grid, Dr Amba claims to be expending N200,000 monthly to fuel the power generating machine of the College whose power is only channelled to the Provost’s official residence on the campus.
“He surreptitiously procured two additional power generating sets without regard for the established procurement procedure only to reserve for his apartment.
“The rest of the staff quarters and most importantly, the students’ hostels and college library are still in darkness without even the conventional ‘NEPA’ light talk less of a generator.
“The Provost bought two standby generators without vouchers and kept one in his house while he has already bought two with the college money,” the petition read in part.
The organization also alleged that Dr Auwal Ibrahim Amba was also at the centre of 12 million naira procurement of cars for the top the management team of the College scandal with him serving as the procurement officer jettisoning other supposed officers.
“The Provost in the process of executing the contract which he dubiously awarded to himself coerced the Bursary Department of the college to release the funds in two instalments to his personal bank account.
“The bursary department released five million naira through a check to the Provost to procure cars for the Registrar, Deputy Provost, Chief Liberian and Bursar of the college. He later returned asking for an additional one million naira for the assignment.
“Furthermore, the Provost also collected another six million naira from the college for his car and that of the then Chairman of the College’s Governing Council, Dr Zubairu Abubakar Madaki” only to keep hold of his old car after receiving the money.
The petition said despite spending 12 million naira to get official cars for himself and other members of the management of the college, Dr. Amba frequently patronizes flights during his travels using funds of the college to pay for the service, but return no receipt of boarding tickets to account for the money he used for what it was requested for.
“The Provost often arranges his personal excursion outing on flight and award exorbitant NATA to himself without proof of receipts, acclaimed air tickets and boarding pass.”
PIDI said that at the instinct of the Provost, over 3000 students of the college paid 500 naira each as Covid-19 protocol fee without prior directive in lieu of such collections from the Bauchi State Ministry of Education.
The Right Group said that the Provost turned computers donated to it by the National Communication Commission, NCC sharing about two of the computers with his wife who is not a staff of the college and some other individuals outside the employ of the college.
PIDI explained that Dr Amba equally awarded the contract for the construction of a bakery and printing press belonging to the college to himself to the tune of N9,000,000, something that makes the Chairman of the College’s Governing Council set up a committee to investigate actions of the provost.
Prison Inmates Development Initiative requested the House of Assembly to in 21 days ultimatum invite Dr Auwal Ibrahim Amba to appear before it to defend the allegations. PIDI also asked the house to invite about 50 staff of the college to bear their minds on the allegations raised against the provost.
Responding, Provost, College of Education, Legal and General Studies Missau Dr Auwal Ibrahim Amba told WikkiTimes that the purported petition is not a new thing because it has been there for nearly two years.
Dr Amba said he has faced eight different committees of inquiry on the same allegations.
“The Petition is more than two years old and I have faced eight committees. Some of the committees I have appeared before them include Asset Recovery Committee of the Bauchi State Government under the Chairmanship of retired General Yake, Committee of the Officer of Head of Service and Bauchi State Ministry of Education Committee comprising a Deputy Commissioner of police,” the provost said.
Dr Amba told WikkiTimes that since the wake of the “recycled allegations”, he has submitted a periodical report to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences, ICPC for more than one year.
Dr Amba explained that all financial transactions of the college was duly approved by the Governing Council, hence, he has no direct influence on transactions involving the purchase of cars for the top the management team of the institution.
The provost conceded that the power generating machine of the college electrifies his house and security lights at night excluding the library and students hostels.
He said that the fact that the entire college is not on National Grid is not only peculiar to the College but all other tertiary institutions owned by the Bauchi State Government.
“Bauchi State Government directed that all tertiary institutions in the state be responsible for settling their electricity bills. Doing that effectively is a burden on us considering our low performance in terms of IGR.
“All the electric cables in the male students’ hostels were boggled by the students.
“However, during exams, we fuel the generator to supply power to the library of the college and lecture venues from 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm to enable our students to read for their exams,” he said.
Dr Amba denied sharing the NCC computers with his wife and others not in the employ of the college saying that those propagating smearing campaigns against him are staff of the college who wants the computers to be shared with them, something he refused.
Commenting on the non-remittance of 10 percent of the college IGR, the Provost said that he met a three tax liability of the college, from 2015 to 2018.
Dr Amba said that the college has more than eight registered students unions that have been carrying out their activities including the traditional Students’ Union Government, SUG, religious groups and traditional associations.
The Provost said that the allegations are cooked by “saboteurs who are bent to frustrate the system to achieve their personal goals.”
