In May 2024, the Executive Secretary of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), Idris Bugaje, a professor, was grilled by the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), over allegations of unauthorised withdrawal of about ₦170 million from the Board’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) into personal accounts.
This followed a petition sent to the commission by a whistleblower alleging the creation of an illegal kickback fund, corruption and nepotism, among other accusations, against Bugaje.
Suspecting that the petition that led to the ICPC investigation was written by one of his staffers, Bugaje has allegedly subjected perceived whistleblowers to retributory actions, including demotions and isolation from work, with sources at the Board accusing him of altering seniority profiles to sideline perceived opponents and unjustly placing staff under suspension.
Sources privy to the matter also alleged that the ES established a parallel management structure, the NBTE EXCO, to override decision-making processes and isolate dissenting voices, while also being accused of flouting public service regulations and obstructing accountability measures.
Bugaje had in 2021, shortly after he was appointed as the Board Secretary, created the NBTE Consult account, which, according to him, was to generate more revenue for the parastatal.
But the Consult accounts, according to sources, have been used for personal gains. Since the creation of the NBTE consult, two directors have headed the unit in the past but in 2024, Bugaje was said to have removed one Bilkisu Daku, and appointed his in-law, Sani Nuhu KofarMata, as the managing director.
KofarMata hadn’t worked with the Board until his appointment by Bugaje in 2024. ₦170 million paid into personal account The ICIR was unable to get the petition to the ICPC detailing the allegations against Bugaje, but other documents obtained and reviewed revealed that over ₦170 million was withdrawn from the Board’s Treasury Single Account (TSA) domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in January 2024, and funneled through private accounts before being transferred to the Board’s Consult account.
The Board’s TSA outflow report indicted nine staff members for receiving the money into their accounts, as the money was routed through their personal accounts, with each individual receiving varying sums, ranging from ₦10 million to ₦30 million in January 2024.
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