Contracts awarded by the President – TETFund debunks N7.6bn contract allegations

The Management of Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund, has debunked reports that it awarded questionable contracts amounting to N7.6 billion without the approval of the President and the Federal Executive Council, FEC.

The Commission, in a response to a media report, said it did not make any attempt to usurp Mr. President’s powers or that of the Federal Executive Council, or award contracts without due process; as the entire write-up was based on the wrong assumption that contracts were awarded by the Fund.

The report claimed that TETfund awarded N7.6 billion questionable contracts within two months without due process.

In a statement signed by the Acting Director, Public Affairs of the Commission, Abdulmumin Oniyangi on Wednesday, dismissed the reports, stating that all the Fund’s disbursement guidelines are approved by the president.

The statement reads in part, “For the avoidance of doubt and in total contrast to what was reported in the publication, we wish to affirm that all TETFund Disbursement Guidelines are approved by Mr. President on the recommendation of the Fund’s Board of Trustees and concurrence of the Honourable Minister of Education in line with the TETFund Act 2011.

“We therefore, state unequivocally that at no time did the Fund make any attempt to usurp Mr. President’s powers or that of the Federal Executive Council, or award contracts without due process; as the entire write-up was based on the wrong assumption that contracts were awarded by the Fund”.

Continuing the commission said in the statement that the two Projects under reference are not contracts but are ICT Projects being implemented under a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, arrangement with the following two global academies: Anthology USA, Edunet Academy.

“These organisations are academies and owners of the intellectual property rights for their different products which do not make them open for competitive biddings in public procurements.

“Therefore, it is instructive to state that the Partnership with the two academies to execute the ICT roadmap of the Fund endorsed by Beneficiary Institutions were not carried out as contracts.

“Rather, Beneficiary Institutions’ ICT needs were aggregated for bulk negotiation to take advantage of economies of scale.

“For the report to allude that TETFund acted illegally in empowering students with ICT skills clearly indicate that the reporters are ignorant of the Fund’s mandate and responsibilities.

“While we frown at attempts by certain elements to tarnish the Fund’s image for selfish purposes, we call on our Beneficiary Institutions, stakeholders and the general public who have always supported and appreciated the efforts of the Fund to ignore these campaigns of calumny.

“We wish to reassure you that the Fund will continue to act responsibly and in line with due process in all its activities”, the statement concluded.