President Muhammadu Buhari has terminated the appointment of Prof. Charles Uwakwe as the Registrar/Chief Executive of the National Examinations Council (NECO). The President also  dismissed four other management staff of the Council for various offences.

Uwakwe was suspended in May 2018 after which a panel was constituted to probe the allegations of unsatisfactory conduct against him. One of the allegations was the mismanagement of  the sum of 25 billion naira.

In a Letter dated  May 11, 2020 and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education, Arc. Sonny Echono on behalf of the Education Minister, Uwakwe was accused of violating the Public Procurement Act (2007)  pursuant to PSR 030402 and part 1 schedule 4 (i) of NECO Establishment Act.

“After due consideration of the investigative panel on the allegation of unsatisfactory conduct leveled against you and some Management Staff of the Council, Mr. President in the exercise of his powers, has approved your removal as Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of National Examinations Council with effect from the date of your suspension from duty,” it read in part.

Uwakwe was directed to hand over all the government property in his custody to Abubakar Gana, who had been appointed as the Acting Registrar since 2018.

In another letter with reference NO: FME/S/1419/C.3/T/98, dated 11th May, 2020, and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Arc. Sonny Echono, it was disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the dismissal from service of another four management staff for various offences.

The affected senior officials are Bamidele Olure, Director of Finance and Accounts; Shina Adetona, Head of NECO’s Procurement Division; Tayo Odukoya, Deputy Director and Babatunde Aina, Head of Legal and Board matters.

Olure was dismissed after being “found guilty of financial impropriety and for not being qualified to head the Finance and Accounts Department.”

Adetona, who was also dismissed, was put up for prosecution “for acts tantamount to fraudulent practices, sabotage, and suppression of official records.”

The letter also ordered that the council begins the process of recovering ill-gotten benefits from Odukoya, who had acted as director of the council’s M/S I-web Solutions.