Benue: Ortom moves to end graft in SUBEB

By Jimin Geoffrey

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has vowed that any officer found to be involved in fraudulent activities at the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB will not go unpunished.

Govenor Ortom stated this today at the Benue Peoples House Makurdi Makurdi, while receiving an interim report from the Committee on Review and Repositioning of SUBEB, headed by Commissioner for Education, Professor Dennis Ityavyar.

He stated that anyone indicted in the report of the committee would thoroughly be investigated and sanctioned, if found guilty.

According to the Governor, the impression that SUBEB is the epicentre of corruption would be corrected under his watch, stressing that he is ready to step on toes to achieve the objective.

Governor Ortom frowned at the allegations that 20 computers were given to him by SUBEB on the directives of the Universal Basic Education Commission, UBEC, saying such must be substantiated by those concerned.

This forced SUBEB officials to clarify with proof that no computer was given to the Governor as the said systems were later found to still be at SUBEB headquarters.

Commissioner for Education, Professor Ityavyar had stated during the presentation of the report that the committee visited 20 out of the 23 local government areas and had made shocking revelations.

He stated that the present staff strength of primary school teachers was found out to be false visa-vis the overbloated wage bill, noting that the board currently operates 19 bank accounts which was also an act of fraud.

He stated that from the findings, over 1,000 staff who were due for retirement were still in the service, pointing out that impending retirees should be communicated by writing six months to their retirement date so they could proceed on terminal leave three months to the time.

The committee also recommended that a review of the law establishing SUBEB, appointment of a legal adviser for the board, separation of procurement office from that of accountant as well as forensic auditing of accounts of the board for sanity be entrenched.