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.
