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Reps Quiz Federal Polytechnics Damaturu, Mubi, Monguno Over Infractions

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By Gloria Ikibah

The House of Representatives has queried the Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Adamawa State, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Borno State and Federal Polytechnic Damaturu, Yobe State over series of administrative and financial infractions.
This was as Rectors and some management staff of the three institutions appeared before the house Committee on Polytechnics and other Higher Technical Education, as part of oversight function to render accounts of their budget performances.
But the Committee found various infractions in the documents presented by the three institutions which ranged from abuse of Federal Character in employment, Extra-Budgetary spendings and recurring abandoned, uncompleted  projects in one of the institutions.
During presentation by the Rector of Federal Polytechnic Mubi, Dr.  Abdulrahman Ishaku, the Committee discovered that projects that were to be completed in two to three years were not finished despite adequate release of funds in budget.
Specifically, the Committee was provoked by the non-completion of a staff quarters and an administrative block project by the institution for years.
Speaking, Rep. Emil Inyang who stood in for the Committee Chairman, Rep. Fuad Kayode Laguda at the meeting on Thursday, lamented that, the projects have not been completed and have been recurring in the budgets.
He said, “Physical Planning, can you show me where you rolled over the project to 2023? It’s not here. Is it in 2024? Why do you come here to lie? Where is it? That admin block, is it in use? Has it been completed? So, you have abandoned it.
“Gentlemen, I don’t know what to say to these kinds of people. Construction of staff quarters, Item number Nine under 2022 capital projects. Have you seen it Rector? What is the state of that building? Is it completed? It is completed, that’s what is shown here, and you are saying it is still remaining fittings. Is fittings not part of completion?
“You people are just disgracing yourselves. We are just killing this country from various directions. From our various positions we are just killing this country. Let me ask a question on this staff quarters. In 2022, the amount appropriated was N57.9 million, N28.9 was utilized was released, so remaining N28.9 that’s half.
“But, by 2023, appropriation was 88 and the entire amount has been released. So, is it the same project?If it is the same project, when this appropriation was done, does it mean that, the other 28 that was not done, not utilised that time, is it kept somewhere?”
The Rector however informed the Committee that, the fund was later mopped up.
In his ruling after the submission, the Chairman stated, “What I will tell you now is that, instead of going through this your document that does not satisfy anything, please, you will.list all the abandoned, all the structures you have not completed. When it started, How much was appropriated, How much you have put in till date, the state of those projects one after the other in the entire school.
“Not just in. your regime. From inception till date.So that, we will include them in your 2025 budget. You will not do any new thing as capital. You must complete these abandoned. You have turned some of these projects to conduits of putting money into them and not completing them. Even the ones you have written as completed here. You used your own mouth to tell us here that, you have not installed fittings. That is what you said.
“So, this is why it is necessary for us to go there and see things for ourselves.Because what you are doing here, you are just wasting governments’ resources. These abandoned projects or the state of the jobs especially constructions, let’s have it in one week time. How much you have put in there, at what stage are they, how much you will need to complete”.
Similarly, the Committee criticized the Federal Polytechnic Damaturu over using Insecurity as an excuse for financial malfeasance and other infractions as well the abuse of Federal Character in employment.
Chairman of the Committee noted that, the institution has carelessly spent its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) according to the records presented to the Committee.
In his presentation, the Acting Rector, Dr Ibrahim Babale Gashua said, the institution is faced with the challenge of low IGR as a result of the insecurity being faced in the state, which according to him, has reduced students intake and other activities.
He said, “We that are residing in Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State, we have three different high institutions. We have to lower our tuition fee because not everybody will come from outside the state. Even those in the state, it is only the course that is not available in their places that they come for in Damaturu because of the insurgency”.
The Committee however discovered that, despite the insurgency claim that reduced the institutions IGR, there was no commensurate reduction in its spending which the Committee said cannot be justified.
Another member of the Committee while commenting on the matter said, “Everybody comes to claim insurgency. Students don’t want to come to the schools. But it doesn’t stop them from spending the whole money.IGR, you blow it, Overhead, and yet, there is insurgency. So, it’s funny. You see, if I have a house and I am supposed to have 10 people occupying it. If 10 people are not occupying it, it means that my NEPA.payment, my PHCN money will reduce, because consumption of power supply will reduce. My water consumption will reduce. My number of cleaners will reduce because I don’t have full occupation. You understand what I am saying? My security personnel will reduce in terms of numbers.
“So, these are the issues.Most of the Polytechnics in the North come here brandishing this insecurity issue as the major reason for non performance. You are not performing on students admission, but you are performing on your expenditure profile”.
Speaking, Chairman of the Committee said, “Ok, this insurgency is a big excuse. Once you mention it, you will all close our mouths.Look at your Nominal Role, a federal Institution. Open to page 47 and 48, you will see how you have obeyed the law of the land, the Federal Character. Have you seen it Acting Rector? That’s the best you can do? You think from all those Zero-Zero states, if you offer them employment they wouldn’t come?”.
The Rector however reacted saying, “Some of them don’t come. Even those that we have left. I am telling you Sir”.
But a member of the Committee, Rep. Adebayo Adepoju faulted the Rector’s claim and said, it was not justifiable.
He said, “You cannot defend it, because if you are trying to defend it, saying that you’ve done everything in your powers and Nigerians have refused to come to your school, at that point, you say you have done the most you can do.
“But, when you did not even given Nigerians the opportunity to apply. We know what goes on in Federal Character. We know. I am telling you, if you go there and you want to apply, everybody has an interest, they give you. And before you know, they give you Certificate of Compliance.
“That Certificate of Compliance, we have shredded it so many times. Give yourself the opportunity to be fair to Nigerians.People want jobs in this country. We have so many jobless people and you will agree with me, there are many that will say, I won’t mind to go to Borno to teach.Please let’s give them an opportunity”.
The Rector and Management of the Polytechnic were directed to remedy the anomalies in their employment and henceforth advertise all vacancies in national dailies in order to give all Nigerians equal opportunity.
Similarly, after a presentation by the Rector, Federal Polytechnic Monguno, Prof. Garba Mohd, the Committee directed the institution to also be diligent in its observance of Federal Character and other issues as the Committee discovered a skewed empolyment in the institution in favour of a particular section of the country.
It reminded the Rector and members of his management that, as a federal institution, it is required by law to treat all parts of the country in terms of employment and other considerations.

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Angry investors raid CBEX office, loot assets in Ibadan after digital Platform crash

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A group of angry individuals, on Monday evening, stormed the CBEX office located in the Oke Ado area of Ibadan, Oyo State, looting furniture and other items after the digital trading platform reportedly crashed.

Eyewitnesses said the mob forcibly entered the premises, carting away tables, couches, and other office equipment.

The attack is believed to have been triggered by the sudden collapse of the platform, which allegedly left many users with zero balance in their accounts.

Following the incident, several users expressed frustration and grief over the loss of their investments, with some taking to social media to share their experiences.

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A video circulating online shows a large crowd at the CBEX office, with individuals seen removing various items from the building.

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‘Not something I’d wish on anyone’ — Melinda Gates opens up on divorce

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Melinda Gates, the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, has spoken about their divorce in her new book ‘The Next Day’.

Bill and Melinda got married in 1994 but announced their divorce in 2021 — after 27 years together.

In a recent interview on ABC’s Good Morning America, Melinda revealed that she chose to discuss her divorce openly to be true to herself and acknowledge others who have experienced similar situations.

She described the separation as “painful” but also a “transition that had some growth in it”.

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The 60-year-old also emphasised that divorce is a challenging experience for any family and expressed her hope that her story might offer some insight.

“It was important because if I am going to be my most authentic self. People knew I had gone through it,” she said.

“And it is hard on any family, so I write from my perspective. But it’s not something I would wish on anybody — and unfortunately so many families go through it.

“It is a big transition. And for me, while it was painful for sure, I ended up learning some lessons and there was some growth in there, too.”

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Bill and Melinda first met in 1987, when she became a product manager at Microsoft. They married in Hawaii in 1994 and founded the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation — a nonprofit dedicated to combating global poverty and disease — in 2000.

Following their divorce, Melinda resigned from the foundation in May 2024.

The former couple shares three children: son Rory, 25, and daughters Phoebe, 22, and Jennifer, 28.

In January, Bill described his divorce from Melinda as his “biggest regret in life”.

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SHOCKING! One month after giving birth, woman discovers another baby in her womb

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A woman who had given birth just a month earlier was rushed to the hospital after sensing something was wrong—only to discover she was still carrying another baby.

This unusual incident was shared in a viral post on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Woman discover another baby in womb a month after giving birth
Woman discover another baby in womb a month after giving birth.
According to the post, the woman had initially given birth at a hospital and returned home after being stitched.

However, a month later, she began to feel unwell and went back to the hospital, where doctors discovered another child still in her womb.

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She was immediately put into labor again and successfully delivered the second baby.

The post read: “There’s a Xhosa lady on TT who gave birth to a child in March, got stitched and went home. Well, a month later, she felt something was wrong with her, it turns out there was another child in her womb. So, she gave birth again. She now has twins that are a month apart.”

As the post circulated online, concerned users flooded the comment section to share their thoughts and reactions.

See some reactions below:

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@Melo_Malebo: “Idk what’s more shocking, the fact that twins can have different fathers or this one. Also, wasn’t the other one big enough for nurses to see there could still be someone in there ?”

@Fifi_Kumalo: “So the ultrasound didn’t catch the other baby 😳 njani? I know they hide but so confused.”

@Ralph_Nzuza: “When my lil sister got operated they cut the baby on the cheek after the surgery they forgot those scalpels inside her.”

@StraightupGal: “Surely this incompetence is illegal. One can die giving birth, what more when they have stitched your baby up for a couple of more weeks? 🤯😭 Thanks to God she is safe and able to tell the tale.”

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@mgwatyu_: “Must have delivered at a clinic via NVD, Not booked so no scan or late booker. Cannot be a cesarean section. The stiching must have just been for tears.”

@phuti_mathobela: “God works in mysterious ways some people get to experience his ways in this form while some people in their near death experience. He is God’s of miracles.”

WATCH VIDEO:

There’s a Xhosa lady on TT who gave birth to a child in March, got stitched and went home. Well, a month later, she felt something was wrong with her, it turns out there was another child in her womb. So, she gave birth again. She now has twins that are a month apart. 😭

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— Musanathi Writes 🇿🇦 (@Musanathi2) April 14, 2025

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