Nigeria: N4.3 Million Fraud – Legislature Orders Removal of Education Secretary in Nasarawa

Lafia — Lafia local government legislative

council of Nasarawa state on Tuesday passed a

resolution for the immediate removal of the

council’s Education Secretary, Alhaji Mohammed

Haliru, over alleged embezzlement of over N4.3m

of council retirees and deceased staff of the

education authority.

The legislature took the decision after adopting

the report of the house standing committee on

Education and Social Services which investigated

the allegations of fraud and abuse of office

leveled against the Education Secretary during

the house proceedings in Lafia.

Mallam Abdullahi Baban- Gata, the chairman of

the committee informed the house that all

allegations leveled against the council Education

Secretary were true and substantiated with

incontrovertible proof of evidence.

“Our committee was mandated to investigate and

report back to the house on the allegation

against our council Education Secretary, Alhaji

Mohammed Haliru which includes non-payment of

73% salary to 20 teachers of the council in April

2015″.

“Withholding of Ten teachers salaries for the

months of June and July, demotion of school

supervisors and posting them to primary school as

class teachers, demotion of senior and qualified

head teachers to teach under their juniors”.

“Illegal transfers of teachers and in the course

of committee investigation, between April to

June, 2015, the sum of N4,371,835.59 of 20

retirees and deceased in Lafia LGEA was pocket

by the Education Secretary and all other

allegations against him was true.

“As far as the allegation against the Education

Secretary was true, I pray and wish that a

motion be moved and passed on this for the

council chairman to recommend to the state

Universal Education Board for the removal of the

Educational secretary, “he said.

Mr.Balarabe Ibrahim, councilor representing

Wakma ward moved a motion for the removal of

the education secretary, calling that all illegal

transfers done by the Educationa Secretary be

cancelled, all teachers demoted without reasons

be returned to their former positions and all

teachers who were not paid their June/July

salaries be paid immediately.

Mrs. Juliana Elsa-Dauda, councilor representing

Ashige/Ugah ward seconded the motion for the

removal of the council Education secretary and

said that N4,371,835.59 meant for retirees and

deceased be refunded to the council treasury by

the Education Secretary.

The house unanimously passed the resolution for

the removal of the council Education Secretary.

The council speaker, mallam Aminu Musa directed

the clerk of the house to communicate the

resolution of the house to the council chairman

for the removal of the council Education

Secretary to the chairman of the council and the

executive chairman of the Nasarawa state

Universal Basic Education Board ( NSUBEB)

“The Nasarawa state Education law 2005 part

111,sub-section 5 states that the Education

Secretary may be removed from office by the

Board on the recommendation of the chairman of

the local government for

incompetency,corruption,dereliction of duty or

any other reason, “he said.