Rep. Member David Fouh, Ex Rector to Refund Looted 334M’

 *Accounting Records Missing at Taraba Poly

 

•Rep. Member Shunned Panel invitations- Sources

 

•Its Political Witch Hunt- Embattled Rep Member

 

•We will implement recommendations- State Govt.

 

•Don't Politicize Taraba Poly Looting - Group warns  

 

The visitation panel set up by Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, to investigate cases of corruption and looting to the tune of billion by management of Taraba State Polytechnic has recommended that over  N334 Million looted by some officials be recovered.

 

This is coming as Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper further gathered that some accounting records and documents  like Cash Book, Vote Book, and others relating to  financial records of the Polytechnic between 2015 and 2019 were not 'properly kept' and  missing.

 

The panel in its report recommended that a former Rector of the Polytechnic, Daniel Mom  and former Bursar Mr David Fouh should refund the total of 334,377,874 to the School TETFUND account.

 

According to the panel's report, the amount was part of funds looted by the former Bursar who now represent Gashaka/Kurmi/Sardauna Federal Constituency in the National Assembly and the former rector while holding managerial positions at the Taraba State Polytechnic between 2015 and 2019.

 

In the report exclusively obtained by Taraba Truth and Fact newspaper, members of the Panel discovered Cash withdrawals from the school TETfund account for unknown purposes to the tune of N52,400,100,00 which was not accounted for till they left office.

 

Also, another 175,110,075 was transferred from the TETFUND account to other accounts belonging to the Polytechnic which clearly contravenes laid down guidelines in managing  TETFUND projects, money meant for TETFUND projects are not to be diverted under any guise and should be properly accounted for.

 

According to the Report, the N175,110,075 transferred from the TETFUND account to other accounts belonging to the Polytechnic includes balance of contractors which was not released to them. "The money includes 35 percent payments to contractors who executed projects in the Polytechnic, they were never paid but the money was transferred by Fouh to private accounts, the Polytechnic still owes the Contractors their balance."   

 

The panel also discovered unaccounted payments without supporting document amounting to the tune of N30,889,800 and another N53,714,580.00 for unknown projects and activities. 

 

Also uncovered by the Panel is indiscriminate transfers of funds to the tune of N82,644,042.00 to proxy accounts and cash withdrawals from TETfund account for unknown purposes to the tune of N52,400,100,00.

 

 

According to the report, the Panel recommended that these moneys should be recovered and the officer concerned be made to face disciplinary action as provided by the public service law.  

 

The Taraba State Governor Darius Ishaku has assured residents of the state that his administration will implement fully the recommendations of a visitation panel to the state-owned polytechnic which discovered financial recklessness and rot in the administration of the institution in a bid to revamp education.

 

This is in response to a civil society organization group Taraba Concern Citizens Forum, asked the state government to hand over those involved in misappropriation of the institution's fund to the EFCC for prosecution.

 

The group had called on the state government to release a White paper and make public details of the 2020 Visitation panel to the state-owned Polytechnic, Suntai.

 

Coordinator Taraba Concerned Citizens Forum Comrade Mansur Munkaila Jirgi speaking at a press conference in Jalingo called on the state government to shun political sentiments and implement recommendations of 2020 Visitation Panel to Taraba State Polytechnic.

 Hon David Fuoh, embattled lawmaker representing Saruduna, Kurumi Gashaka Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives who was indicted by the report  has insisted that the report was aimed at witch-hunting him.

 

Responding to our report on the embattled lawmaker who served as the Bursar of Taraba State Polytechnic between 2016 and early 2019 said that the panel report was instigated and influenced to indict him because of his alleged rising popularity across the state which had posed threats to the ambition of some politicians.

 

He said he had approached a  court to stop activities of the 2020 Visitation Panel to the polytechnic alleging that it's a political witch hunt against him because he was never invited by the Panel to defend himself.

 

But a member of the Panel who spoke to Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper anonymously said the lawmaker was invited like others during its sitting to defend their actions while in office. discovery at the State Polytechnic was chilling

 

"We invited the former Bursar who's now a member of the House of Representatives to face the panel and defend his actions while working as Bursar at the State Polytechnic, but he shunned the Panel and refused to appear before it, am not too away of any  Court order maybe you can find out with those who worked in the Secretariat of the Panel. The position of the Panel has been made known in its report submitted to the government, we are even surprised that you could lay your hand on it. But we are hopeful that the efforts put in by members will not go in vain."