The visitation panel constituted by the Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya to investigate the challenges mitigating against the College of Health Science and Technology, Kaltungo, has submitted its report to the state government on Friday.
Presenting the report to the governor through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof Ibrahim Njodi, the Chairman of the eight-member panel, Prof Caleb Kudi, revealed the fraudulent activities of the Governing Council and principal officers of the College.
He also appealed to the state government to sustain funding the college, while appointing individuals with requisite knowledge to steer the affairs of the institution.
“There should be a forensic audit of all financial records of the college to unravel evidence of fraud, irregularities and embezzlement,” Kudi said.
He suggested that the state government should compel some past management of the institution to atone for their infractions “by returning government property particularly official vehicles to the college.”
It was reported that the fraudulent activities, according to the panel’s report, include charge registration fees, NYSC mobilisation fees JAMB fees, student medical service fees, unapproved internal and external examinations and illegal pension remittances by staff members among others.
The chairman recommended to the Yahaya-led administration to “constitute a team of experts to produce a detailed and factual history of the evolution of the college from 1978 to date for proper documentation, investigate cases of reported cases of sexual harassment to bring culpable persons to book as well as refunds of money fraudulently collected and mismanaged by the immediate past management of the college.”
Responding, Yahaya thanked the visitation panel for meticulously looking at the challenges confronting the institution.
He described the visitation panel as an instrument usually constituted to carry out a holistic assessment of issues faced by institutions of higher learning to report same to authorities for appropriate action.
