The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) is poised to blacklist the Abia State College of Education, Technical, Arochukwu (ASCETA) due to allegations of financial mismanagement by the institution's management. Several TETFUND-funded projects at ASCETA have reportedly been left incomplete since Prof. Vincent Onwe's appointment as Provost last year. Even projects initiated by the former Acting Provost, Mr. Ikechukwu Okorouga, such as the perimeter fencing, have been abandoned.
Following numerous complaints and petitions against Prof. Onwe, TETFUND established a special investigative panel to probe the management of funds allocated for ASCETA projects. In a letter dated February 20th (reference number Tetf/ES/IAU/SVE/2024/vol 1), TETFUND directed a four-man panel to investigate ASCETA. The panel's report allegedly implicated the management to such an extent that TETFUND forwarded the findings to the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
Concerned by the serious allegations in the report, NCCE has summoned Prof. Onwe and key officials to Abuja. In a letter dated April 25th, 2024 (reference number NCCE/SO/Tetfund/74/vol1/33), NCCE directed Prof. Vincent Onwe to appear with the registrar, bursar, procurement officer, and TETFUND desk officer. The summon is due to "significant delays in executing ongoing TETFUND projects, misappropriation, and diversion of TETFUND funds." NCCE noted that "far-reaching recommendations were made in the report by TETFUND" against ASCETA. Prof. Onwe and his officials are expected to appear before the Executive Secretary of NCCE on May 7th, 2024, as stated in the letter.
There are fears that based on the TETFUND report, ASCETA may be suspended from participating in TETFUND activities until further notice.
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