Anti- Corruption: Group wants JAMB Registrar to halt collaboration in proposed Summit

By Dansu Peter 

The  Transparency Advocacy for Development Initiative, TADI has urged Professor Is-haq Oloyede the Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, JAMB to halt collaboration in the proposed Summit on ending Corruption in the Public Sector forthwith until he clears all allegations of corruption levelled against him. TADI in a letter to the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, Professor Bolaji Owasanoye said it will not hesitate to proceed with a street protest if the Commission does not cancel its planned collaboration with JAMB for the Summit. 

TADI Director of Compliance,  Ibrahim Muhammad Auwal, Esq. in the letter dated 19th September, 2022 said his group took time to highlight the corrupt activities of Professor Is-haq Oloyede and Mr. Mufutau Alabi Bello who presently serve as Registrar and Director of Finance & Accounts (DFA) of JAMB in an earlier letter submitted to ICPC on 24th August, 2022. However, the anti-graft seems to have refused to perform its statutory duty by conducting the necessary investigation.

It would be recalled that another organisation, the Integrity & Transparency Watchdog had on 24th July, 2022 written a similar letter to ICPC calling for the investigation of Professor Is-haq Oloyede and Mr. Mufutau Alabi Bello for the atrocities they have committed. 

The group said rather than inviting Professor Is-haq Oloyede and Mr. Mufutau Alabi Bello for thorough questioning based on the avalanche of indicting facts and documents submitted against them, the ICPC had opted to collaborate with the same JAMB under the leadership of Professor Is-haq Oloyede for purpose of organizing the 4th National Summit on Diminishing Corruption in the Public Sector themed “Corruption and the Education Sector”. 

TADI said the invitation letter which was  sent out reveals that it was signed by Prof. Musa Usman Abubakar (Secretary to the Commission) and the Summit is fixed for Tuesday, 4th October, 2022 at the State House Conference Center by 10.00am. 

Auwal said, "Whilst we applaud the Summit for being timely, unique and supportive of the anti-corruption stance of President Muhammadu Buhari, we haste to submit that collaborating with JAMB as you have sought to do will end up discrediting the ICPC. 

"We expect that the allegations pending against Professor Is-haq Oloyede and Mr. Mufutau Alabi Bello would have been duly investigated by your office before any form of collaboration with JAMB. 

"It will be ridiculous for you as a highly respected Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) to be seen sitting on the same table and discussing corruption issues with persons whom you are supposed to investigate and possibly prosecute.

"In view of the foregoing, we hereby advise that you STOP the collaboration with JAMB as planned and notify us in writing WITHIN 5 (FIVE) WORKING DAYS from the date of this letter.

"As an organization made up of law-abiding citizens, we do not believe that a foremost anti-corruption agency like ICPC should be harassed or compelled before performing its statutory duties.

TADI wants the ICPC to investigate Professor Ishaq Oloyede and his best friend, Mr. Mufutau Bello the self acclaimed DFA in connection with violation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) guidelines which clearly prohibit the routing of any third party official payments through the personal accounts of individuals, amongst several other infractions.

" However, if our advice as given herein is taken for granted, we shall mobilize our members in large number to OCCUPY your office as well as the State House Conference Center on or before Tuesday, 4th October, 2022. This is to ensure that the attention of President Muhammadu Buhari who is expected to declare the Summit open is drawn to the efforts we have made to rid JAMB of acute corruption and how you are trying to frustrate us. Meanwhile, we have duplicated this letter to the following government functionaries for their information and necessary intervention: -

1. Chairman, Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption;

2. Chairman, House Committee on Anti-Corruption;

3. Chief of Staff to the President of Nigeria; 

4. Secretary to the Government of the Federation;

5. Honourable Minister of Education;

6. Honourable Minister of State for Education;

7. Chairman, Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB);

8. Chairman, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC);

9. Inspector-General of Police (IGP);

10. Honourable Commissioners of ICPC;

11. Director-General, Department of State Services (DSS);

12. Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA);

13. Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education; and

14. Chairman, Presidential Advisory Committee Against Corruption (PACA)" TADI said.