A fraud of unimaginable proportion has been discovered at the Abia State Polytechnic, Aba, as the Rector of the institution, Prof. Ezionye Eboh and his management team have converted books donated to the Polytechnic and presented them as procured with TETFUND intervention.
The books donated to the institution by ‘Books for Africa’ (BFA) and Sir Emeka Offor Foundation in 2012 were defaced, mutilated and presented as books sponsored by Tetfund intervention 2014/2015.
Sources at the Polytechnic told 247ureports.com that in the fraud running into several millions of Naira, the official stamp of the original donors, ‘BFA’ and Sir Emeka Offor Foundation were defaced and replaced with the Tetfund 2014/2015 intervention stamp to deceive the Tetfund auditors and inspectors.
Calling for an investigation in the alleged fraud, concerned stakeholders of the polytechnic, under the aegis of the Integrity group has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to determine how the donated books were converted to Tetfund books while the Tetfund 2014/2015 intervention funds vanished.
Integrity group, in the petition, signed by Nwachinemere Ajaegbu Ogubundu, and titled; Fraudulent Conversion of free books donated by a donor to Tetfund books: A case against the Rector Abia State Polytechnic, Aba and his management, listed other officials of the institution involved in the fraud as; Mr. Friday Omenihu(Bursar),Mrs Comfort Nwabughiogu(Registrar), Mr. Ndulaka Chigozie (Ag. Librarian), and Dr. Njike Chigbu (Tetfund desk officer) and urged the EFCC to act without delay.
“The 2014/2015 Tetfund library intervention for books for the Abia State polytechnic library was privately pocketed by the Rector and his management team. To cover their evil track, they converted books donated by ‘Books for Africa (BFA) and Sir Emeka Offor Foundation in 2012 to books sponsored by Tetfund intervention 2014/2015. The fraud was perpetrated through wilful defacing and mutilation of the labels and stamp of the original donors and replacing them to deceive Tetfund auditors and inspectors.”
The Polytechnic’s Rector, Prof. Ezionye Eboh, did not respond to repeated calls made to his mobile number when efforts were made to get his reaction.
