- Denies Alleged ₦100 Million Bribe
By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
The visitation panel for Taraba State University (TSU) has recommended the reconstitution of the university’s governing council to meet the standards set by the National Universities Commission (NUC). The panel also denied media reports alleging that the current university management had bribed the committee to soften its report.
Professor Josiah Kente, chairman of the panel, disclosed this during a press briefing after presenting the report to Governor Darius Ishaku in Jalingo. He explained that the recommendation was based on the panel’s terms of reference, which included assessing the leadership quality of the university, including the governing council, vice-chancellor, and other principal officers.
The panel found that the inappropriate composition and appointment of the governing council had adversely affected the university’s policy direction. “The chairman of the governing council should be someone with university administration experience who can advise the institution appropriately,” Kente said.
He also highlighted the university’s staffing system, noting that it did not comply with NUC standards. The standard stipulates a 70/30 ratio of academic to non-academic staff, while TSU currently has 749 academic staff and 1819 non-academic staff.
Furthermore, the panel recommended the establishment of an investigative panel to probe the university’s financial management due to the lack of proper financial records, particularly between 2010 and 2023. The panel also recommended that certain individuals return funds due to violations of financial regulations.
The panel also found irregularities in the university’s recruitment process, emphasizing the need for transparency and proper procedures.
“We advise the state government under Governor Darius Ishaku to implement the report to make Taraba State University meet the NUC standard and become a real university,” Professor Kente concluded.
Other high-ranking members of the university community commended the state government for setting up the committee. They emphasized that the report did not specifically attribute the alleged misappropriation to the current vice-chancellor, Professor Sunday Bako.
“We have worked with Professor Bako for the last two years, and any sane person will admit that the university has experienced unprecedented development and transformation,” one member stated. “If he was a money-embezzling VC, I doubt if we would have seen such transformation under such a short period.”
They clarified that the report covers a ten-year period and three administrations, urging the public to wait for the full report before drawing conclusions. They also commended Professor Bako’s leadership and the university’s recent accreditation achievements.
The members expressed confidence in Governor Ishaku’s commitment to improving the university and emphasized that his decision to reduce tuition and accommodation fees demonstrates his dedication to the university’s success. They condemned attempts to portray the governor as engaging in a witch-hunt against the vice-chancellor.