By Temitope Mustapha, Abuja
The National Youth Council of Nigeria NYCN, has discredited the publication in some section of media on probes and contract scam by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.
Addressing Journalists in Abuja on Friday ,the President of the National Youth Council of Nigeria NYCN , Solomon Adodo said the youth agency after its meeting with Global Initiative for Mass Education, Civil Society Advocacy Groups for Accountability and Probity and others , the Youths disapproved the publication on specific online media, with the headlines, EFCC probes Education Minister, Adamu over contract scam.
The NYCN defended that neither any official records nor the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission nor any other antigraft Agency has invited the Minister of Education over any issue of corruption in the sector.
According to Adodo, “The recent libelous publication by 247ureports.com and misleading headlines by Sahara Reporters alongside some yellow journalism platforms targeted at roping a scandal around the neck of Mallam Adamu Adamu is one which all true patriots and stakeholders in the education sector must condemn totally”
“Is therefore with utmost dismay that the National Youth Council of Nigeria and her partners have noted the desperate attempts to disparage the image of the Minister of Education and derail the spate of progress being recorded in the educational sector all in a bid to paint the government of President Muhammadu Buhari in a bad light”he added.
The NYCN President who claimed that his organisation and it Civil society partners had carried out due investigation on the issue, lamented that the attack is not only geared at crippling the recovery of the education sector , “but also a subtle smear strategy against the government”
On issues of financial efficiency, prudence and fiscal transparency, the youths mentioned that the Ministry of Education has performed well citing the over N10b remitted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board to the Federal Government between 2016 and 2020.
“The National Examination Council has also remitted monies running into several billions of naira into the Federation coffers”.
The NYCN called on the Minister Adamu to remain focused in his duty of transforming the education sector .
SaharaReporters and 247ureporters had reported that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had begin investigation on the Federal Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, and some ministry officials over a contract scam which borders on the construction of perimeter fencing at the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara State.
The online publication also reflected that the EFCC has also detained the university’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof Magaji Garba, who had been indicted in the contract scam.
