A few days after the bizarre report that a snake ‘swallowed’
about N36 million from the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board’s vault in
Benue State, another state co-ordinator of the board in Nassarawa state has
come up with a rather strange story to back an alleged fraud.
This time, JAMB staffer, Labaran Tanko, said his car got burnt
and in the process scratch cards worth N23 million were destroyed in the
inferno.
However, not impressed, as in the case of the Benue saga, the
board, reacting through its registrar, dismissed Mr. Tanko’s claims.
Few days ago, a JAMB sales clerk, Philomina Chieshe, had told
JAMB registrar and his team who conducted fact-finding sessions on alleged
fraud at the Board, that she could not account for N36 million she made in
previous years before the abolition of scratch cards by the organisation.
In the course of interrogation, Ms. Chieshe confessed that her
housemaid ”connived with another JAMB staff, Joan Asen, to “spiritually” steal
(through a snake) the money from the vault in the accounts office.
In the case of Mr. Tanko, the board said after a thorough
investigation, it discovered that the cards which reportedly burnt alongside
Mr. Tanko’s car were used by students in Nassarawa state to register.
It said this was easy to discover through simple checks done by
its officials.
Mr. Tanko, who made this confession at a session where suspects
of fraud and criminality were interrogated by top officials of the board,
including Registrar Ishaq Oloyede, however stood by his claim.
“I thank God that I am alive today,” Mr. Tanko told the panel.
“I had an accident on July 3rd 2016. I was not the one that packed the cards
because I was rushed to the hospital, and they came to pack the burnt scratch
cards to the office but it could not be counted. I have the serial numbers of
the cards.”
Until Mr. Oloyede’s took over as registrar, JAMB candidates usually
purchased scratch cards from JAMB state offices and other designated centres to
gain access to the board’s website for either registration or to check their
admission status.
However, new reforms introduced by Mr. Oloyede, when he assumed
office in 2016, ended the use of scratch cards, replacing it with a more
efficient and effective platforms.
The board also gave reasons why Mr. Tanko’s defence was
untenable.
“Every (member of ) staff who has scratch cards in their
possession must have the serial numbers. We found out that the cards you
claimed got burnt were used despite the police report you presented to us and
for JAMB, that is N23 million of government money,” the registrar said during
the session.
He also said the suspect, just like the lady indicted in Benue,
would be handed over to the police once the board concludes its in-house
investigations.
“Those that we want to transfer have been transferred to the
(board) headquarters until they account for the missing funds. But those we
believe are ‘beyond us’ will be handed to the police immediately,” Mr. Oloyede
said.
In a separate reaction when PREMIUM TIMES approached the
spokesman of the board, Fabian Benjamin, he outlined steps taken by the board
on the matter.
“All the suspects have been suspended by the board. In Tanko’s
case, the committee has already written a report which the management have sent
to the (Education) ministry. Once it is approved, it will be done,” Mr.
Benjamin said.
He also said the board will monitor with careful scrutiny how
staff entrusted with sensitive responsibilities handle government funds
henceforth.
“The fight against corruption by the board was given a boost by
the recent visit by the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime
Commission, EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu. Given the kind of commendation by Magu and
the confidence reposed in the management of the Oloyede-led board, we would
have no option than to continue to do more,” Mr. Benjamin said.
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