Protest: Multi-million Naira Fraud allegation rocks Fed Govt Girls Science and Technical College, Uyo
Worried by the general state of affairs in Federal Government Girls Science & Technical College located at Ukana Offot street, in Uyo, Akwa Ibom’s Capital City, Students of the school started disrupting the peace of the College.
Our source said the Students, for a long time were complaining of poor meals, illegal charges/levies, high-handedness meted to both students and Teachers of the school, hence were grumbling that Miss Dinah I. Dogo (Director), Principal of the school, must be sent away.
The students, in a way to vent their angst allegedly staged a brawl on Monday July 25, 2022 where Students of SS3 had altercation with SS2 Students leading to destruction of classroom lockers, books and other property of the School, hence causing the remedial closure of the school to avert more destruction before the end of that day.
Sources reached at the time of filing this report said the students were tired of a Principal they consider a bully and would want to cause trouble to attract attention of critical stakeholders of the College to salvage their situation. In the wake of further findings as to why the students of the school have been fighting each other, it was learnt that the problems were allegedly caused by its Principal accused of refusing to change her ways of doing official businesses of the School.
A lead to our source hinted that some interested parties in the school had approached Miss Dogo, Principal of the Federal Government Science Technical College and addressed the thorny issues in writing but she flagrantly ignored them.
Miss Dinah Dogo has been accused of committing many “anomalies and atrocities” in FGSTC Uyo. In a letter addressed to the Minister of Education by some “concerned staff” and made available to the Press, “New students on admission into JSS1 and SS1 are charged ₦8,000 for Hostel Locker and ₦8,000 for Classroom Locker. Each of these lockers are produced at the rate of ₦4,000 each, as against ₦8,000.
“The problem here is that there is a committee put together to monitor, supervise the production and supply of these items.” but members are not allowed to know anything about the monies collected from the students for doing the lockers.
The authors of the letter stated further, “These people work from morning till night and are not appreciated, where does the excesses go to?
“This situation goes for uniforms and other items the school is supplying to student.
“Though students of the college pay for stationary as part of their school fees, they are also made to supply one ream of A4 photocopying paper and one ream of foolscap sheets, a packet of 6 Jumbo sized toilet papers.
“They also pay for ADF Hostel Charges for painting of rusted lockers as a result of putting bucket of water on it and other sundry charges.”
Our findings reveal that students in Hostel Rooms 1 to 24 and Common Room pay a total of N102, 265.00.
Miss Dogo is also accused of meddling with the Capital Expenditure Accounts of the School by engaging in “Unlawful transfer of funds from Capital Expenditure accounts to a personal account” of Ryte Reazons Limited owned by one Atarry Moses.
The letter also alleged that the Principal is involved in admission racketeering of N150,000.00 per admission slot but denies staff members spaces for their relations and wards.
She allegedly sits on Staff progress such as suppressing official/call circulars for workshops seminars/trainings hence ” Teachers of the this College are not allowed to go for workshops, seminars and trainings even when they (such seminars) are duly approved by Headquarters.
“A recent example is the ICT training on WEB DESIGNING held at Ibadan for the ICT staff, but none of the ICT staff of this school were allowed to go for that very all-important training.
“Again VPs are busy attending workshops/training meant for teachers.”, the letter stated.
The letter with the subject matter, “REPORT OF PRINCIPAL’S (Miss Dinah Gogo) WRONG DOINGS IN FSTC UYO, AKWA IBOM STATE”, alleged that the Principal threatens to cause the transfer of Staff who dared to advise against her misconduct.
Our source said one Mr Gabriel Bassey, the Maintenance Officer of the College is one of those staff the Principal had threatened to “Transfer” or “Repost” for daring to send her a petition for her deviation from the spirit and letters of the vision and mission of the IDEAS Project of World Bank for the College.
In a petition dated June 27, 2022 with the subject matter, “A PETITION AGAINST YOUR WRONG DOINGS IN FSTC – UYO” presented to Miss Dogo, Mr Gabriel Bassey had stated, “you are diverting from the mission and vision of the IDEAS project.
“”This project was meant for the Akwa Ibom Environment. However, you decided to engage those who are neither working nor having workshops close to the school.
“You brought in those you think will cooperate with you to defraud the school.”
Gabriel alleged that the Principal directed him and one Bishop Enema to coordinate the IDEAS Project when the school was invited to Abuja and he did his best with almost bare knuckles but was shocked when she finally manipulated him to have a car accident and while in the hospital the Principal brought in a stranger to assist her “sign out millions meant for the school development as can be seen in the attached letter (PSR 030401).”
The letter from Gabriel which leaked to the press confronted the Principal on the areas of lying about the existence of a carpentry unit in the school when there was none, “importing” tradesmen from other states as her cronies to work at the expense of those in the designated catchment area( Akwa Ibom State), Rigging of bids, flouting of Public Service Rules (PSR) on Nepotism, misconduct, delaying of Staff Files, inflation of contracts among other misconducts.
Hear him, “There is no carpentry in this school, no student, no teacher. However, you decided to introduce carpentry in order to divert the funds excluding those departments (trades) that have been in existence since the inception of the college more than 20 years ago.
“”You falsified every information in your declaration to World Bank with regards to the number of students, teachers, subjects and departments (PSR 030401).
“Why are you busy buying carpentry tools when there are no students, no teachers in carpentry? I am aware of all the procurement offences being committed by you.
“These include: a. colluding with contractors to siphon College money; b. Rigging of bids to favour those contractors who tow your line; c. These procurement offences have been your constant practice since your arrival in this college.
“”Let me quickly remind you, Madam Director, of the issue I once raised in a meeting concerning the transfer of work meant for the catchment area such as – digging of pit, fumigation and plumbing works.
“However you continue to bring in your people to do these jobs thereby using this avenue to defraud the school (PSR 030401) – Nepotism.
“As a result of bringing in outsiders to work for you, your looting gang came in and stole our solar batteries and inverters that have been in College for ages.
“”When the security men wanted to expose the thieves, you quickly disengaged them just to give Akwa Ibom people a bad name.
“At the beginning of every new term, other principals always release funds for training materials for Technical and Science practical. Since your arrival in this college, you have refused to release the funds for training and practical.
“How do you expect the students to perform at external exams when they were not trained on the use of this equipment, when they did not carry out any practical work before exams.
“PSR 030309 – No fine shall be imposed on any officer as a punishment for an offence committed in the course of his or her duties.
“Therefore deducting money from staff emolument for coming to Assembly late or other minor offences is against PSR 030309 and should stop forthwith.
“PSR 030301 – Misconduct (foul language) In addition to this deliberate delay in the treatment of official documents/files.
“It is in your nature to curse the staff of this College during Assembly. May I remind you Madam Director that the use of foul language, dishonesty and deliberate delay in the treatment of official documents/files amount to misconduct, which violates PSR rule No. 030301.
“”Contracts in the Unity Schools are fixed and firm, but you raise a variation of Ten Million Naira to bring a Twenty-Four Million Naira contract to Thirty-Four Million Naira for a project and you took away the Ten Million Naira.
“This is dishonesty, which is against PSR rule No. 030301 on misconduct.
“”In conclusion, you are running the school as your own private school. According to the PSR, Official Communication, files should not be on an Officer’s table for more than 24hrs.
“However, there are files of staff who applied for DTA, lying on your table since February 2022 (over 5 months now).
“I am by this letter asking you to stop forthwith, turn a new leaf and do the right thing as stipulated in the PSR, Circulars and other Government Directives.
“”Failure to comply within one week, this letter will be expanded with more details and evidences attached and forwarded to EFCC, World Bank, Federal Ministry of Education and ICPC.” Mr Gabriel Bassey’s letter to Miss Dogo had stated.
When approached on phone to hear her own side of the story concerning the weighty allegations against her, the Principal promised to call back as she was in the Court but never did until the time of filing this report.
Our Reporter attempted entering the school compound early this week but was not allowed in at the gate.
