Financial Scam Rocks Adamawa College for Legal Studies

The Provost, College for Legal Studies, Yola Barrister Musa Yahaya has been petitioned to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged corruption, financial misappropriation and maltreatment of staff by members of the Non Academic Staff Union (NASU) Adamawa State chapter.
The petitioners alleged that the provost used his position in engaging in fraudulent activities. He was also said to be the brain behind the termination of appointments of some labour leaders in the college.
However, the provost denied the allegations, saying the petition was aimed at tarnishing his image by some group of persons within and outside the college.
DESERT HERALD magazine investigation reveals that the issue started worsening when the provost in a letter dated February 2010 with reference number CLS/Y/S/ADM/OFF/1/38 directed the college assistant registrar Mallam Muhammad Mukhtar Adamu who is also the state chairman of the Joint Action Committee of the Academic and Non Academic Staff Unions in Adamawa state-owned tertiary institutions to present the NASU statement of account. However, the non compliance of the directive by the NASU chairman resulted to the termination of his appointment and that of his secretary in the college.
This singular action by the provost prompted reactions from various labour unions, while members of the Non Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) in the state issued a 21-day ultimatum for the state governor to intervene as they threatened to close down the four state-owned tertiary institutions.
The labour leaders alleged that three months after his appointment, the provost wrote to the Taraba state government requesting for financial assistance of five million naira (N5,000,000) without informing the state government. Two million naira was approved through Zenith Bank Jalingo branch cheque number 27367700.
Other allegations leveled against the provost include misappropriations of funds and non compliance to due process which resulted to alleged wrongful termination of appointments.
Investigations by this paper also reveal that Non Academic Staff Union in the state had once written to the provost prevailing on him to stay action on their branch chairman and other NASU members in the college. In a letter dated 24th/4/2010 titled: “Re: Invitation to appear before appointment and promotions committee of the college council”, the state labour leaders said that it is not within the constitutional provisions for the management to demand for statement of account of the union as the provost and management are not financial members of the union.
Addressing newsmen on the controversial termination of appointment of the union leaders by the provost, NASU state chairman Comrade Mahmud Muhammad and his secretary Ishaku Bitrus said due process were not duly followed.
The duo averred that, “It is not within constitutional right of the college to demand for the statement of account of the union. This has never happened or practiced in any establishment. Why should the management interfere in the affairs of the union? On what moral justification could their appointments be terminated?”
According to them, “ordinarily, the college is expected to have a disciplinary committee. It is therefore surprising that the Provost would constitute himself into the accuser, the judge and the jury against the affected staff.”
The labour leaders said already the matter has since been communicated to the national body as well as the labour ministry.
When contacted on the matter, Barr. Musa Yahaya Nuhu denied all the allegations been leveled against him, saying, “this is blatant lie aimed at tarnishing my image.”
He confirmed to our reporter that the Assistant Registrar was sacked for his non compliance to submit the statement of account of the union to the management.
“He refused to release the NASU statement of account for the months of January 2009 to April 2010 as earlier demanded by the college authorities. He also invited Abdulrasheed Muhammad Bibi, a former employee of the college to the JAC meeting at Ganye, knowing fully well that his appointment was terminated by the college council,” the provost said.
On the petition sent to EFCC, Barr. Nuhu said, “I'm not rattled at all, because all of them are mere mischief-makers. They are bent on seeing that I'm removed from office; that's all they want.”
He said no amount of pressure will make him rescind his decision, ''who ever feels aggrieved let him or her seek redress at the court of law.''
It would be recalled that few months earlier, religious crisis was averted in the college when the provost ignobly suspended some students. Three of the students were suspended for openly expressing their excitement by hugging each other after coming out of the school examination hall.
The Provost who claimed to have spotted them from his office invited them and unilaterally suspended them without following due process, despite pleas by the students.
He also summarily expelled nine other students who protested the suspension of their colleagues before the State House of Assembly. Already, the affected students have since run to court to seek redress.