From: Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The management of Waziri Umaru Federal Polytechnic, Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi State, has sent over 36 corruption-related petitions in the institution within two years to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses (ICPC).
In the light of this, the institution had set up Anti-Corruption and Transparent Unit (ACTU) to fight corruption in the institution based on initiative of the ICPC.
Secretary of the ACTU, Suleimam Taufiq, who disclosed this after the 22nd matriculation ceremony of 5,048 newly admitted students, on Thursday, said that in 2015 and 2016, the Units received 21 and 15 complaints through it suggestion boxes and direct submission at the office.
According to Taufiq,”All the complaints were thoroughly investigated, even though, two of these complaints were dropped due to lack of substantial evidences. Fifteen cases were reported to the Rector for information, appropriate actions and four were inconclusive in that year, hence, were carried forward to 2016, completed, and reported for appropriate action.
” In 2016,another fifteen complaints were received and only one was struck out due to lack of evidence. The remaining fourteen were thoroughly investigated and appropriate recommendations were forwarded to the Rector “.
He added the Standing Order of the units had empowered it to report to the ICPC and copy Rector stressed that both staff and students of the institution must compliance with laws to avoid unnecessary embarrassment.
Earlier, in his remarks, the Rector of the institution, Arc. Muhammad Sani Aliyu, disclosed that due to government’s policy on capacity, more than 5,634 candidates applied for admission, but could only admitted 5,048.
Speaking on Corruption, the Rector said “Students must never give bribes and lecturers should not received or collect bribes. Failure to attend lectures, refusal to mark or delay in the submission of examination results, forcing students to buy textbooks sexual harassment either by lecturers or students, are all acts of corruption and shall attract severe sanctions “.
The Rector disclosed that Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TET-Fund) had approved the sum of N691.632 million as 2016 intervention for ten capital projects in the institution.