CSOs accuses mischief-makers of disparaging falsehood against education minister
*Calls for immediate retraction of reports
A group of Civil Society Organizations, CSOs has accused some distractors, mischief-makers with no good intention for the nation’s education sector of being responsible for reports making the rounds on some online portals against the minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu accusing him of corruption.
In a communiqué made available to journalists on Friday, the National Youth Council of Nigeria, the Civil Society Organisations Meetings on Development in the Educational Sector described the reports as misleading, libelous and targeted at painting the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in a bad light.
According to the communiqué signed by the National Youth Council president Solomon Adodo on behalf of the CSOs, the group called for the immediate retraction of the report.
The online portals had alleged in their reports that the minister dictates over the principals of each tertiary institution on the use of the monies received from the FIRS.
According to the reports, each contract award by the tertiary institutions are usually tele-managed by the minister through his fronts as the minister would dispatch a list of contractors who are to be awarded all available contracts.
The contractors the report added would be relatives of the Minister often would be his younger brothers – Umaru or Ibrahim Adamu or the younger brother to the minister’s wife, Dauda Abdul Hamid.
However, debunking the reports in its entirety, the group called on those with proof of corruption against the minister to approach the anti corruption agencies.
‘’It should be noted that this attack on the image of the Minister of Education and other Agencies/Bodies under the Ministry have been expertly contrived and coordinated over a long period of time which gives credence to the inkling that they are on a vendetta mission.
‘’The eagerness to drag an important Ministry as the Ministry of Education into the murky political terrain by mentioning the Governor of Yobe State and Caretaker Chairman of the APC also demonstrated the bald faced political Agenda of the men behind the mask who are bent on ridiculing the government just to gain some mileage in the 2023 Presidential elections.
‘’We advise sternly that these purveyors of mischief steer their ship of vendetta clear of Nigeria’s very important education sector which is already on the path of progress.
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It is imperative to draw attention to the fact that anyone with a proof of corruption against the Minister has the liberty to approach the anti-graft agencies or the law courts for justice to be served.
‘’The enemies of our education sector have however decided contrary wise, placing the cart before the horse and serving as judge, jury and hangman all in one. It is highly condemnable’’, the group stated.
While passing a vote of confidence on the minister, the group added that the attack is not only geared at crippling the recovery the education sector is recording after the devastating Covid-19 lockdown but also a subtle smear strategy against the government.
The group further listed some developments under the minister, which strongly affirm his knack for transparency and fiscal accountability to include a prudent revitalization plan for Nigerian Universities, a major leap in the performance of the Universal Basic Education Commission due to the water tight accountability system and efficient utilization of funds amongst others.
