The former Executive Secretary of Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), Dr. Abdullahi Bichi Baffa, on Wednesday explained why he was sacked by the minister of Education, Malam Adamu Adamu. In an exclusive interview with BBC Hausa, Baffa claimed that Adamu orchestrated his sack for his refusal to give him bribes.
He explained that the minister rose against him for his refusal to pay 10 percent kickbacks to contractors working for the minister
“On Friday night, I was informed at the Presidential Villa that the minister of Education came with a letter reporting me to the president. Adamu Adamu reported me to the president, requesting my sack but the president stood his ground and refuse to remove me.”
He disclosed that his sources at the presidency told him Saturday night that he was going to be removed.
“I asked what was my offence? They alleged that the offences were inaccessibility, insubordination and speaking to the press without the minister’s permission,” Baffa said.
Dailytrust quoted him as saying that the minister was angry that “TETfund disbursed over N200 billion to universities without remitting the 10 percent kickback, which amounted to N20 billion. He said he never asked for a kickback from any university. “If any university shows proof of collecting kickback from them, let me be sentenced to death,” he said.
