Group Petitions Nigeria’s EFCC Over Alleged Multi-Billion Naira Fraud By Polytechnic
The institution, operating from Ikot Affaha, Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, is accused of defrauding students of billions of naira over the past 13 years through fake admissions and unfulfilled academic promises.
The Citizens’ Solution Network, a civic organization, has filed a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of educational fraud involving an institution known as “Maurid Polytechnic” or “Maurid Institute of Management and Technology.”
The institution, operating from Ikot Affaha, Nsit Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, is accused of defrauding students of billions of naira over the past 13 years through fake admissions and unfulfilled academic promises.
The petition highlights that the institution alternates between claiming to be a polytechnic and an institute of management and technology, using these dual identities to deceive unsuspecting students.
“A preliminary search on the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) portal reportedly reveals that the institution is neither a registered polytechnic nor a government-approved educational body.
“We are in contact with over 100 victims who are currently being punished by the school,” the Citizens’ Solution Network stated in its petition.
“It is heartbreaking that thousands of students have fallen victim to this scam, losing significant amounts of money and enduring psychological and academic torment.”
The organization alleged that the institution, spearheaded by Mr Godwin Umontuen (Chairman), Augustine Ukit (Rector), Mr Tom Fred Fish (Registrar), and Thomas Ubong Boniface (Director of Studies), issues fake admission letters under the name ‘Maurid Institute of Management and Technology.’
“Simultaneously, it operates with a signboard labelled ‘Maurid Polytechnic’ to mislead the public,” it also alleged.
The organization further alleged that victims reportedly pay hefty sums for admissions and tuition, with many completing the required years of study but receiving no certificates or qualifications as promised.
The petition also claims that the institution’s owner, who once contested for a seat in the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly, has used political influence and compromised local law enforcement to evade accountability.
“Policemen allegedly threaten students with violence if they attempt to protest against the institution’s fraudulent activities.
“This institution has been issuing fake certificates and defrauding students yearly. It is shocking that despite over a decade of operation, no concrete action has been taken to halt this fraud,” the petition stated.
It said, “Citizens’ Solution Network is calling on the Economic and Financial Crime Commission to delve into and investigate this horror that is wasting the productive years of young Nigerians seeking admission, while systematically defrauding huge money from this unsuspecting students (both past and present), while offering them fake admission, and unacceptable excuses without equivalent certificates.
“It is important to state that neither a management and technology institute nor the said fake polytechnic is authorized to run medical and paramedic courses, yet this so-called Maurid Institute is issuing out fake admissions on public health, nursing and other related courses without providing graduates the certificate.”
The petition further reads, “Please also, we are using this medium to alert guidance, parents, unsuspecting prospectus and the general public to be aware of what the so called fake Maurid Polytechnic represent and why they need to avoid engaging such school or discontinue any engagement with such organisation.
“Please EFFC kindly treat this request as a petition of public importance to prevent further economic crime and harm against Nigerians under the auspices of the handlers of the fraudulent school.”
Dr Godwin Umontuen, Chairman of the Maurid Group, responded to the allegations on Friday, telling SaharaReporters that the Maurid Institute of Management and Technology is duly licensed by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
He further noted that the institution is listed on the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) platform for student admissions.
Umontuen said that having acquired the legal status to operate, the school has, over the years, admitted and graduated students from its various approved departments.
Regarding the current controversy about one of its programs, he said the issue started when one of the institutions Maurid was affiliated to for its top-up degree program, Gregory University, informed them that they would no longer issue the agreed degree as stipulated in their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) because of their low quota.
Its Department of Public Health Science had admitted to study for a National Diploma in Public Health as well as a Higher National Diploma in Public Health Science but could not issue the degrees for them.
“Our Institution immediately informed the students of the new development to keep them abreast and aware that it intends to offer them ND and HND as contained in their admission letter; to facilitate the quick indexing of students into the National Association of Public Health Science for their Council Examination and subsequent licensing,” he said.
According to Umontuen, while working to ensure the speedy actualization of the process, the institution was surprised to see spurious publications against the school – many of which were reportedly made by people with pseudo names and from disgruntled students who had dropped out of the school.
According to him, such students had left the school without doing their final-year projects. He said some of them still owed the school large amounts of money.
He said, “Since the disappointing discontinuance by Gregory University and the need to ensure that students from the department graduate with their qualifying certification, the institution has taken solid steps and made great leaps to ensure that graduating students from the department are licensed and inducted into the National Association of Public Health Science.
maurid Polytechnic
“The institution, after a preliminary investigation, suspended two of its staff members who were culpable of misinforming, misleading, and misdirecting the students on the issuance of a degree certificate in public health science.”
“We thereafter moved swiftly to acquire provisional approval from the National Association of Public Health Science to recruit and present students for the award of National Diploma in Public Health and Higher National Diploma in Public Health.
maurid Polytechnic
“We also scheduled our students to join their counterparts in other higher institutions in the country to write the bi-annual examination on December 2nd and 3rd, 2024, and have called on students to turn up for the registration/documentation on Saturday, 23rd November 2024,” Umontuen stated.
“The institution is alarmed and embarrassed by those baseless allegations and is by this release warning some of the students who chose to toe the paths of self-destruct and are bent on frustrating the efforts of the school and that of other students from graduating, that it has taken steps to ensure that they are made to face the law.”
He said that the school will not sit back and allow errant students to destroy its hard-earned reputation.
“We wouldn’t have bothered to take issues with those on a mission to embarrass the chairman of our Governing Board and the institution, but for the innocent and unsuspecting public, parents, sponsors, and friends of our great institution who may be swayed by the viciously offensive publications on social media,” he added.
Meanwhile, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Maurid Polytechnic Mbiaso and Gregory University Uturu, was obtained by SaharaReporters. It was dated December 1, 2022 and signed by Dr. Uvwaoma Uche, Director of GUU-ICEP; Professor Augustine Uwakwe, Vice-Chancellor of Maurid Polytechnic (MPM); Dr. Godwin Umontuen, Director of MPM; and Mr. Ubong Boniface, as a witness.
LETTER TO CENTRE DIRECTORS.pdf
It reads: “Parties to the Memorandum of Understanding: This Memorandum of Understanding, dated December 1, 2022, is made between Maurid Polytechnic Mbiaso (MPM), located in Nsit Ibom, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, a registered educational institution with the Government of Nigeria, and Gregory University Uturu (GUU), a fully licensed university in Uturu, Abia State, Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
It said, “Now the two institutions; in consortium to enhance the concept, aspiration, motive, vision, and a shared common intent and mission, to enforce university education extension and provide Mbiaso citizens/residents (and other Nigerians/Africans) access to excellent higher education programmes, now enter into a Memorandum of Understanding, to implement the same, taking advantage of the existing and enabling environment in the region.
“Both parties agreed that the title of the prospectus under the consortium shall carry a format reflecting the collaboration and partnership of MPM and GUU. to wit: ‘MPM in consortium with Gregory University Uturu’.
“That it is agreed to, by both parties, that this format shall be formally used in all formal instances wherever works accruing from both parties’ endeavours or programs, study modules, etc., become displayed in public
“That the programs being referred to herein are those operated by Institute of Continuing Education (ICEP) of GUU and which shall be available to citizens of Mbiaso and others.”
The document added, “The party affected by the event of force majeure shall within fourteen (14) days of becoming aware of the event or within which it should have become aware provide written notice to the other Party of the occurrence of such event of Force Majeure.
“Such notice shall include a detailed description of the event of Force Majeure, an estimate of the duration of such event, the reasons for which such Party is unable to perform its obligations hereunder due to such event and a plan to mitigate and remedy such event, if possible.
“Such party shall provide the other party with regular updates of the foregoing information.”
“Effect of Force Majeure; The parties agree, subject to a transparent and satisfactory evaluation of each situation and the prior approval of the parties in writing, to approve an extension of the period of the term of this memorandum to compensate for the exact operational time lost as a result of Force Majeure,” it added.
