Alleged Fraud: Group Calls For Cancellation Of JAMB/ICPC Proposed Summit

Adeleye Kunle Reports

ABUJA – The Transparency Advocacy for Development Initiative, TADI, has urged Professor Ishaq Oloyede, the Registrar of Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, 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, 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.

Director of Compliance, TADI, Ibrahim Muhammad Auwal Esq in a letter dated 19 September 19, 2022, hinted that his group took time to highlight the activities of Professor Is-haq Oloyede and 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, the group claimed.

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

The group said rather than inviting Professor Is-haq Oloyede and 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 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 am.

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 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 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 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.