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April 26, 2024
SaharaReporters had reported that Echono denied without evidence allegations of corruption said to be ravaging some quarters of TETFund.
Nigeria’s anti-corruption agency, the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), has confirmed the detention of the Executive Secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Sonny Echono, over alleged N7.6billion project fraud.
SaharaReporters had reported that Echono denied without evidence allegations of corruption said to be ravaging some quarters of TETFund.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged corruption in TETFund.
Specifically, the petition cites the award of contracts totalLing N3.8 billion to Fides Et Ratio Academy and Pole Global Marketing (PGM) for capacity-building courses and learning management systems.
But Echono while denying the allegations had said that apart from sanitising the education sector in Nigeria, part of his mandate was to tackle corruption in the system.
Also denying the allegation, Chief Executive Officer of Fides Et Ratio Academy, Paul Chukwuma, on Thursday said that it only entered into an agreement with TETFund on a skill training programme for directors and deputy directors of information and communication technology as well as students in higher education institutions in the country.
However, TheCable quoted the ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, as saying on Friday that Echono was invited by the anti-graft commission on Thursday, and that “The executive secretary of TETFund is here with us. He has been invited for questioning. He is still in custody. He was invited yesterday.”
Bakare further said that “He was invited on Thursday. He has not been released. He’s still with us. Investigation is still ongoing.”
When a call was put across to Echono, he said he was in his office and he has not been invited by the ICPC.
Echono added that one of TETFund directors was briefly detained by the ICPC and had been released.