Board diverts N2billion scholarship funds?

The basis for the establishment of the Adamawa State Scholarship Board cannot be over emphasized. Until two year ago the Board had been responsible for the welfare of the students of higher institutions and stimulation of educational growth of the state. Recent experiences at the Board had not only made nonsense the essence of the Board, but an instrument of retrogression and diversion of public funds meant for the development of the state. The last time the Board had fully performs its statutory obligation was 2011 when the scholarship of the students were paid to them. Students have complained of lack of payment of their scholarships since they were admitted in higher institutions up to this moment when some of them are almost graduating, while some of them from polytechnics and monotechnics said that about two sets of their seniors have completed their studies without the privilege of enjoying scholarship from the state government. More disturbing had been that the scholarship funds have not failed to reflect on the state annual budgets. What then could have been happening to the funds?
 From the findings and report of Justice Bobbo report, the board had diverted a staggering amount of 2billion scholarship fund to private pocket at the expense of the state. The pioneer also gathered
that the funds released by Hon. Ahmadu Fintiri as scholarship funds during his short tenure found itself into private pockets when it became apparent that Fintiri’s government was truncated for good.
Our reporter who was at the board on several occasions to get the version of the chief Executive Director of the Board had to contend with flimsy excuses. The correspondent at one of the visits had to leave a questionnaire as requested by the staff and was later told that the Chief Executive Director had flew out of the country on an official trip.
Some of the students who are beneficiaries of the states scholarship told our correspondent at the Scholarship Board, venue of the recent National Union of Adamawa State Students that the government had been adamant to the welfare needs of students, saying that the use of students’ welfare as a pretext to divert government funds is primitive and unacceptable. They expressed disappointment with government’s inability to disburse scholarship to qualified students even when provisions have been made for this purpose.