N7.6bn project controversy: ICPC says TETFund boss in custody | I’m not, says Echono

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it has detained Sonny Echono, executive secretary of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

Speaking with TheCable on Friday, Demola Bakare, ICPC spokesperson, said Echono was invited by the anti-graft agency on Thursday.

“The executive secretary of TETFund is here with us. He has been invited for questioning. He is still in custody. He was invited yesterday.” Bakare said.

“He was invited on Thursday. He has not been released. He’s still with us. Investigation is still ongoing.”

When TheCable called Echono, he said he was in his office and has not been invited by the ICPC. He said one of TETFund directors was briefly detained by the anti-graft agency and has been released.

“I wasn’t detained by the ICPC. I’m currently in my office. One of our directors was invited by the ICPC to tender documents. But the official has since been released,” Echono said.

On April 18, TheCable reported how TETfund awarded two contracts to Fides Et Ratio Academy and Pole Global Marketing (PGM) within two months at the cost of N3.8 billion respectively without the approval of the federal executive council (FEC), which is required for the contract size.

The contract was to provide capacity building course and learning management systems to about 2 million students across higher institutions in the country.

In a rejoinder, TETFund said it did not award N7.6 billion contracts to two companies without due process.

The agency said it was wrong to say they were contracts, whereas they were ICT projects implemented under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) which doesn’t require competitive bidding in public procurement.

TETFund further said its disbursement guidelines were approved by the president on the recommendation of the “Fund’s Board of Trustees and concurrence of the Honourable Minister of Education in line with the TETFund Act 2011″.

In an interview with TheCable, Echono said there was no form of irregularity in the N7.6 billion project.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to reflect the statement by the TETFund executive secretary that he wasn’t invited.