admin3…Demands Immediate Retraction, Apology
The Former acting Registrar of the National Examination Council, NECO Abubakar Gana has refuted allegations brought against him by Sahara Reporters that he siphoned N368, 875 million generated during the June/July 2018 registration of SSCE, while He was Acting Registrar of the National Examinations Council (NECO).
According to a statement signed by the former acting Registrar of NECO Abubakar Gana and made available to journalists said the allegations against him are untrue hence the need to put the records straight.
Gana said ”I was appointed as Acting Registrar of NECO on May 10, 2018 while the purported incident occurred on December 18, 2017, at least, five months before my appointment ”.
”It must, however, be put on record that the infractions were uncovered by the Council in 2017 under the watchful eyes of Former Registrar, Prof Charles Uwakwe, but nothing was done to bring the perpetrators to book”.
He clarified that when He took over the affairs of the Council in 2018, the misappropriation was officially reported to him, a development that led to the setting up of both Management and Board Committees for investigation.
”Upon our investigations, two officials of the Council were indicted and thereby recommended for dismissal. Not satisfied with the outcome of the investigation, the officials petitioned the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges in the Eight Assembly, which also found them culpable of misappropriation but however pleaded for leniency, a request that was rejected by the Board”.
Wondering how he could have stolen money before his appointment as Registrar? As his administration fought corruption to a standstill by ensuring that monies generated by the council went straight to the Treasury Single Account of the Federal Government.
Explaining further the former Acting Registrar said under his administration the Council carried out major reforms and recorded significant strides. Between 2010 and 2017, NECO generated N900 million but in two years, we returned over N2 billion, generated as proceeds from the conduct of examination, to the federation account with outstanding states indebtedness to the Council for 2018 and 2019 growing up to N1,045,047,140.00 billion.
” The council also abolished the use of scratch cards to ensure that monies generated go directly to the treasury single account. It also worked to ensure reduction of examination registration fee from N11,350 to 9,850.
My administration generated N600 million per annum from checking of result, from an initial N30 million. For the first time, the Council audited itself and dismissed over 100 staff with fake certificates”.
He lamented that the only sin he committed was to carry out a presidential directive by dismissing the erring staff, who have now made me a target of their campaign of calumny.
Adding that, the council purchased 20 Toyota Hilux vehicles from its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to aid its logistic challenges, purchased 8,000 biometric verification machines, in attempt to eliminate the issue of identity theft.
The former acting Registrar I therefore, direct the management of SaharaReporters to retract the publication cited above and tender an unreserved apology to me in not less than two national dailies, within 48 hours, else I will seek redress in court.
Gabriel Kuma
