Alledged N458 million scandal: College Provost on the run to avoid Reps Committee

By Abubakar Lawal Lafia

Drama played out at the Nasarawa College of Education Akwanga on Friday as the Sole Administrator, Mrs Roseline Kela flees when she sighted the House of Representatives Committee on Education and Maritine Administration coming to the school on oversight.

The Committee members are Hon. Manu Soro (APC-Bauchi); Hon. Gaza Gwefi (APC-Nasarawa), as well as one member were at the college for an oversight functions.

Findings indicated that Roseline Kela decision to disappear into thin air was not unconnected with allegations of mismanagement of N400 million left in the institution account by her predecessor, Dr. Rebbeca Isaac who handed over to her few months ago.

It is an open secret that the former Provost COEA, Dr. Rebecca Isaac has handed over the affairs of the college with the sum of N400 million as TETFUND counterpart in the College’s bank account, while another N58 million was internally generated into school account.

CAPITAL POST learnt that after eight months of her assumption of office there wasn’t any explanation on the whereabout of the money.

During the handing over ceremony, former Provost COEA, Dr. Isaac openly told her successor that the institution is owing some contractors and they needed to be paid from the money in the account.

Investigations revealed that up till this moment, the contractors were not paid their contractual funds, while no genuine reason was offered by the management.

It’s also gathered that affected contractors are warming up for litigation against the Sole Administrator, Kela to seek for payment of the money in the court of law as all efforts made to access their money hit the brick wall.

Source told our correspondent that, the former Provost of the college also informed Kela that out of Fifty Eight million naira in account of the school, contractors handling the printing of examination booklets should be paid, yet, they are yet to get their money.

CAPITAL POST can report that, Kela assumed leadership of the COEA, on February, 13, 2020, and had since then been faced with health challenges.

It would be recalled that shorty after her assumption of office the world and the state experienced COVID-19 pandemic which led to the closure of the institution.

Effort by our correspondent to reach her proved abortive as she wasn’t picking her calls.

Earlier, the House Committee members expressed anger with way and manner, Sole Administrator flee immediately she sight them entering into the institution.

Her absence did not stop them from asking some questions which include list of companies qualified for Tertiary Education Trust Fund contract, and whether the contractors have other documents indicating they are duly qualified for such contracts and amongst other necessary documents.

However, a member of governing council of the College, Mohammed Sarki Tanko pleaded with the committee, while assuring them that the management will visit them in Abuja within the week.