MINISTER of Education Adamu Adamu yesterday confirmed that the Registrar, National Examination Council (NECO), Prof. Charles Uwakwe, has been suspended indefinitely.
Uwakwe and directors of Finance and Procurement were suspended by the Federal Ministry of Education for allegedly awarding contracts to the tune of N25 billion without following due process.
The letter suspending the council officials came from the ministry, the supervising ministry of the organisation, it was learnt.
Adamu confirmed their suspension in a telephone interview with The Nation in Abuja
He said their suspension would enable the ministry to investigate alleged financial mismanagement and corruption levelled against top officials.
“Prof. Uwakwe and two other directors have been suspended indefinitely, pending the outcome of the investigation. It (their suspension) will last as long as the investigation last.
“If they finish their investigation (in) one month, if they clear him, he will be recalled. But if they don’t recall him, probably some penalty will be applied.”
He said the ministry didn’t receive any petition concerning the registrar and the two other officials of the council.
According to him, the Federal Ministry of Education is investigating the council officials because it felt the officials had done something wrong.
It is an investigation that the ministry feels that there is something wrong. That is why he was suspended so that he will not block investigation. Only the investigation will establish anything against him.
At the moment it is just speculation,” the minister said.
Prof. Uwakwe declined to comment when our reporter called him.
He advised the reporter to allow the administrative process started by the ministry to complete its work.
“I am sorry I cannot respond to you because the administrative process is on. But all you can do is to support us in prayers,” Prof. Uwakwe said.
But more drama emerged from council on Monday as a civil society group under the auspices of Vanguard for Justice and Good Governance urged the Federal Government to suspend the Director of Human Resources, Alhaji Inuwa Audu Fuka for giving his wife and three children employment into NECO.
In a statement, titled: “An attempt to manipulate Justice in NECO issued in Minna, the group said nobody should be spared in the allegations of financial mismanagement and irregular recruitment of staff.