NTI DG denies allegation of fraudulent practices, removing Registrar

The Director General of the National Teachers Institute (NTI), Prof. Musa Maitafsir, has dismissed allegations of fraudulent practices and removing Registrar opposed to his maladministration.

A group, Zazzau Indigenes Progressive Association (ZIPA), had cataloged the alleged misdeeds of the director general in a petition sent to the Minister of Education, and anti-corruption agencies.

The group accused Maitafsir of illegal recruitment, witch hunting some staff members, including the acting Registrar, award of fictitious contracts and other infractions. The NTI director general dismissed the allegations on Tuesday in Abuja, saying they were mere fabrications.

According to him, the acting registrar,Ibrahim Hamid, was removed on the directive of the former minister of state, education following a petition written by a Deputy Registrar, Obioha Ogundele.

“The then Minister of State, Mr Goodluck Nanah-Opiah, wrote a letter directing us to suspend the acting Registrar and the Deputy pending the outcome investigation.

“After investigation, the committee recommended that both of them should be dismissed,’’ he said.

Maitafsir claimed that since he assumed office, the acting registrar and his deputy have been at loggerhead, writing petitions against each other.

The director general added that he personally pleaded with the investigation committee set up by the minister to review their recommendation of dismissal, for the integrity and family responsibilities of both officers. He said that the NTI management thereafter transferred them out of the Headquarters.

On the allegation of marginalization in the recruitment of new employees, Maitafasir dismissed it as false. He added: “Unlike what happened in 2016 recruitment by my predecessor when 150 of 180 officers recruited were from Zaria and Kaduna State, this time every section of the country benefited.

“The management before me cancelled the employment, but I insisted on settlement out of court.

“Luckily, we were granted permission to consider 116 persons of which 40 are Kaduna state indigenes.”

On the claims of awarding fake contracts, Maitafsir said he inherited over ₦2.2 billion debt mainly from the contracts, and was able to clear more than ₦1.2 billion in two years.

“We have all the records of contracts awarded, We didn’t spend a kobo without following due process,’’ he stated.

He also dismissed the allegation of refusal to comply with the directive for directors who served for eight years to leave the service.

“There were two directors affected, we were in examinations, retiring at that time would have caused a lot of problems, but later they did,‘’ he said.

It would be recalled that the association had in August called for the removal of the NTI director-general.

In a five-page petition signed by the Chairman , Ibrahim Ahmed, the association had accused Maitafisr of removing the institute’s acting registrar and appointing Fatima Abbas-Jega to replace him, an action the group said contradicted public service rules.

“No DG can send a director on leave, in fact there is no word called indefinite leave in Public Service Rules, secondly, you cannot have two acting registrars in an institution.

“Thirdly, an investigation was carried out and Malam Ibrahim Hamid was exonerated, yet Maitafsir went ahead to mete punishment on him, even after not found guilty of any offence.”

The association further accused Maitafisir of illegal award and inflation of contracts , recruitment racketeering and sidelining communities in Zazzau emirate in the recent recruitment. It urged the minister to confirm Hamid as the substantive Registrar of the institution, having acted in the position for 18 months.

The petition was copied to the minister of education, Head of Civil Service of the Federation, EFCC , ICPC, Speaker House of the Representatives, Kaduna State Governor and the Emir of Zazzau.