Senate probes alleged diversion of N200b by ETF boss

Executive Secretary of the Education Tax Fund, Professor Suleiman Elias Bogoro has been asked to appear before the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tetfund to explain alleged mismanagement of education N200billion tax fund between 2011-2015.
He is expected to shed some light on alleged diversion of N200 billion “to other unknown and unspecified uses not recognized in or permitted under the Act.”
The resolution to invite Bogoro followed the adoption of a motion entitled “Gross mismanagement of Education Tax Fund 2011-2015.”
The motion was sponsored by Senator Abdullahi Aliyu Sabi (Niger North).
Senator Sabi in his lead debate noted that Education Tax Fund are funds generated from education tax that are utilised to improve the quality of education in Nigeria.
He noted the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (establishment etc) Act, 2011 is the Act that repealed the Education Tax Act CAP E4 laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004 and Education Trust Fund charged with the responsibility for imposing, managing and disbursing the tax to public tertiary institutions in the country.

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Sabi said that he is further aware that some institutions get multiple allocation of special intervention while institutions that are their peers do not receive any.
He expressed concern that “about N200 billion of the education tax collected between 2012 and 2013 were diverted to other unknown and unspecified uses not recognised in or permitted under the Act and the diverted fund are to be returned into the fund.”
He said that Senate should be worried that after spending nearly N1 trillion between 2011-2015 by Tetfund still that state of infrastructure in the country’s tertiary education institutions is still very shabby, dilapidated and mostly run down.
Though the motion was not debated, Senate President, Bukola Saraki said that the relevant committee should conduct a thorough investigation to establish the truth about the allegations.

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