By Michael David, Lafia
The Executive Secretary of the Nasarawa State Education Trust Fund (NASETF), Abubakar Adamu Idris, has dismissed allegations of financial misconduct levelled against him.
He described the allegations as baseless and a breach of administrative protocol aimed at tarnishing his reputation.
Speaking with journalists in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, Idris maintained that he had acted within the confines of the law and the responsibilities of his office as the accounting officer and chief executive of the Fund.
His reaction follows a petition reportedly submitted to Governor Abdullahi Sule by the Chairman of the Fund’s Governing Board, Timothy Anjide, accusing the Executive Secretary of opening 14 bank accounts without the knowledge of the State Accountant-General.
In the petition, Anjide also accused Mr Idris of awarding 39 contracts without due approval, obstructing auditors from examining the Fund’s financial records, and bypassing the governor and the Governing Board in seeking amendments to the law establishing the agency.
But Idris, during the media chat, dismissed the claims as unfounded, stressing that the Ministry of Finance serves as the supervising ministry for all government accounts.
“The Ministry of Finance supervises all government accounts. If the government requires any information regarding the accounts in question, such information can easily be obtained through the appropriate channels,” he said.
He explained that Section 8 of the law establishing the Fund designates the Executive Secretary as the only full-time member of the Governing Board, while other members serve on a part-time basis.
He noted that all decisions involving funds generated by the agency are subject to the approval of the governor.
“The governor has the final approval over all funds generated by the Trust Fund. Whatever action is taken is in line with the law,” he stated.
On the allegation that multiple bank accounts were opened without authorization, Idris insisted that every account operated by the Fund was opened with the necessary approvals and that monthly reports are submitted to the Office of the Accountant-General.
He also dismissed concerns over the award of 39 contracts, saying all procurement processes complied with the state’s Public Procurement Law and other relevant administrative procedures.
“The contracts in question followed due process in accordance with the Public Procurement Law, Public Notice Law and other established administrative guidelines,” he said.
The allegations against the Executive Secretary are yet to receive an official response from the Nasarawa State Government as of press time.
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