By Vincent Tyosuugh

An investigation has been launched into the alleged fraud surrounding the award of over N100 billion contracts for the construction of technical colleges in Benue State, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

The investigation is allegedly coming on the heels of petitions from more than 60 contractors to the EFCC claiming to have been defrauded by some government officials.

The investigation led to the interrogation of four senior state government officials, the former Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, now Commissioner for Lands, Survey and Solid Minerals, Rev. Frederick Ikyaan.

Other key government officials questioned by the EFCC Makurdi Zonal Directorate are the incumbent Commissioner for Education, Mrs Margaret Adamu; Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Prof. Timothy Ornguga; and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Mrs Helen Nambativ.

The complaining contractors allegedly mobilised personal funds to commence construction of some technical colleges across the state, after being assured that the projects had government approval.

But an anonymous EFCC source, according to Daily Trust said the contracts, valued at over N100 billion, were allegedly awarded last year without the approval of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

The source claimed that one Lawrence Kyaku, who reportedly presented himself as a Senior Special Assistant to the governor, persuaded the contractors to commence work, claiming that he had the administration’s approval.

He further said that Kyaku collected huge sums of money from some contractors under the guise of facilitating the projects, including over N100 million from one contractor and N50 million from another.

“The man had been claiming he is the SSA to the Governor and was deceiving the contractors to go ahead. He also deceived the commissioner that he had the governor’s backing to do the work.”

The source added that the contractors began raising concerns when they encountered difficulties securing payment for work already executed, prompting them to petition the anti-graft agency.

He further disclosed that the EFCC was investigating a letter allegedly signed by the Attorney-General, Prof. Ornguga, directing contractors to pay one percent of their contract sums into a designated bank account as vetting fees.

According to the source, the letter and the account details reinforced the contractors’ belief that the projects were genuine government contracts, encouraging them to invest their resources.

“This one percent may look to you as a small amount, but when it involves a huge amount, it is huge,” the source said.

The commission is also examining the respective roles of the former commissioner, the incumbent commissioner, the permanent secretary and other officials in the alleged contract awards, including whether established government procedures were followed or not.

The source added that EFCC had deployed investigators to unravel the nature of the transactions, determine the amounts collected from the contractors and ascertain whether any government approvals existed for the projects.

He added that the investigation was ongoing and that the commission was yet to establish the full picture of the alleged financial transactions.

By Son Tertsea, Abuja

Due to regulatory breaches involving admissions, accreditation and university affiliations, the Federal Government has cancelled all admissions into the National Certificate in Education (NCE) and degree programmes of the National Teachers’ Institute (NTI), Kaduna, for the 2026 academic session.

Flowing from the above, the institute has also been directed by the Federal Ministry of Education to discontinue all university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements, stressing that it is not authorised to award NCE or university degrees.

This was disclosed on Saturday, by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry, Boriowo Folasade, who warned prospective students, parents and the general public against seeking admission into unauthorised programmes at the institute.

She stated that no further admissions into the affected programmes, whether full-time, part-time or through Distance Learning Studies (DLS), would be permitted. The statement read:

“Consequently, all admissions into NTI’s NCE and degree programmes for the 2026 academic session have been cancelled, while the Institute has been directed to discontinue all university affiliations and degree-awarding arrangements, as it is not authorised to award NCE and University degrees.”

The Ministry also advised members of the public not to apply, accept admission offers or make payments for such programmes, adding that the directive followed violations of the Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued on September 12, 2025.

It further said NCE admissions must comply with the applicable requirements of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) and the accreditation standards of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

The Ministry further directed the National Universities Commission (NUC) to notify affected universities and ensure compliance with the decision to discontinue NTI’s degree-awarding arrangements.

“Ministerial Operational Guidelines issued on 12 September 2025.
The Ministry clarifies that NCE admissions must comply with applicable Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) requirements and accreditation standards of the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).

“The National Universities Commission (NUC) is also to notify affected universities and ensure compliance with the directive on NTI’s discontinued degree-awarding arrangements,” it stated.

However, to protect students already enrolled in the affected programmes, the NCCE will conduct a comprehensive accreditation exercise covering existing NCE II–IV Distance Learning programmes and study centres across the six geopolitical zones.

The Ministry said eligible students would be allowed to complete their programmes, subject to accreditation outcomes and other regulatory requirements.

It reaffirmed that NTI’s statutory mandate remained teacher training, retraining, in-service development and continuous professional development.

By Son Tertsea, Abuja

The Federal government has appealed to the National Assembly to halt the passage of bills establishing new federal universities, polytechnics and colleges of education for seven years.

The appeal was contained in a communication to the President of the Senate Godswill Akpabio by the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa saying the Federal Executive Council approved the moratorium in August 2025 to address the proliferation of tertiary institutions, duplication of programmes and inadequate funding.

Alausa noted that existing federal tertiary institutions are grappling with inadequate lecture halls, overcrowded classrooms, insufficient laboratories, shortage of qualified personnel and deteriorating infrastructure.

He warned that establishing more institutions without addressing these challenges could further weaken academic standards and the quality of education.

He gave reference to the decision of Ekiti and Imo States, which undertook consolidation and restructuring of some tertiary institutions due to financial and administrative challenges.

He further clarified that the moratorium was not intended to permanently restrict access to tertiary education but to allow government consolidate existing investments, improve infrastructure and academic standards, and ensure sustainable funding.