By Johnson Momodu
The legendary Nelson Mandela once described education as a formidable weapon useful for positively resetting the stability and progression of society and humanity.
However, in Nigeria, education has virulent enemies who curiously revel in chaos, misinformation, and distractive mischief.
What is the best way to derail educational progression in Africa’s largest country? Simply pull down—or attempt to collapse—the structures, the powerful pillars that support and grow the sector.
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The Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) is one such structure, and it is under attack. TETFund is an intervention agency set up to provide supplementary support to all levels of public tertiary educational institutions, specifically universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, with the main objective of using funding alongside project management for the rehabilitation, restoration, and consolidation of tertiary education in Nigeria.
TETFund was originally established as the Education Trust Fund by Act No. 7 of 1993, later amended by Act No. 40 of 1998. The Act was eventually repealed and replaced with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund Act No. 16 of 2011.
What is the basis of the attack initiated by some shadowy operators who petitioned the National Security Adviser (NSA), claiming that the Fund gave out money to a political party in a northern state? Specifically, sections of social media have been inundated with images of a letter purportedly written by the Woman Leader of the Adamawa State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, Mrs. Patricia Yakubu, to the NSA. The letter insinuates that the party received N325 million in funding from TETFund between October 2023 and October 2024.
The woman further alleged that “contracts from TETFund at FCE Yola and GMMC Yola for the benefit of the party were kept secret. They sold contracts and concealed the proceeds.” Basic ignorance, by any stretch, cannot become a license for defaming critical institutions and the responsible personalities managing them.
Fortunately, Mr. Abdulmumin Oniyangi, Director of Public Affairs at TETFund, swiftly responded to clarify and dispel the misinformation—whether wittingly or unwittingly deployed to damage a vital institution and its founding principles.
His words: “We wish to state unequivocally that the insinuation is not only preposterous and totally false but also a great disservice to the nation that an individual of such political standing would engage in such frivolity without an iota of evidence.
“To further buttress the futility of the allegations, we wish to state in clear terms that General Murtala Mohammed College (GMMC), Yola, where TETFund contracts were alleged to have been sold, is not a beneficiary institution of TETFund. While FCE Yola, which is a beneficiary institution, is solely responsible for engaging its contractors in line with the Fund’s policy.
“The Fund has observed that allegations of this nature, sponsored by desperate individuals, have become the trend in recent times but will not be deterred in carrying out its statutory mandate, which remains funding the rehabilitation, restoration, and consolidation of tertiary education in Nigeria.
“The Fund has undertaken this mandate steadily over the years, both as ETF and TETFund, and with renewed vigor under the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We advise detractors to get their facts right to avoid misleading the public.”
Clearly, TETFund does not directly award contracts but releases funds to beneficiary institutions. Its statutory configuration does not permit it to patronize political parties or politicians; it only serves public educational institutions across the country. TETFund’s mandate would be compromised if it strayed into patronizing political entities.
Many politicians—largely unproductive individuals jostling for appointments—must look elsewhere for fortune rather than maligning TETFund. Notably, TETFund’s financial transactions are open and transparent, as the agency operates only one account with the Central Bank of Nigeria.
Beyond the informed pushback by TETFund’s Public Affairs Directorate, another unsavory consequence of this misinformation is that some sections of the media have bought into the false narrative peddled by a disgruntled politician. By rushing to publish unverified allegations, they broke a cardinal rule of responsible journalism: hearing the other side of the story.
Aljazirah newspaper even went into overdrive, publishing a cover story on November 30, 2024, accusing TETFund of corruption. In summary, the news outlet alleged that the agency and its Executive Secretary expended humongous sums without appropriation. This report betrayed surprising ignorance and willful mischief.
Apparently, they misread TETFund’s Executive Secretary’s unassuming demeanor as weakness. Arc. Sonny Echono responded swiftly and decisively, using the instrumentality of the law. A core professional, Echono understands the scope and gravity of his responsibility in a strategic sector during a challenging period.
At press time, Echono had briefed his legal counsel, P.H. Ogbole, SAN & Co., which has already contacted Aljazirah newspaper, demanding a retraction and other remedies—or defamation proceedings will be initiated. The counsel made it clear that the publication impugned Echono’s integrity and damaged his hard-earned reputation.
Many may not know that Arc. Sonny Echono embraces knowledge-driven innovations, proactive stakeholder engagement, and decisive action. These qualities have been evident in his leadership of TETFund despite numerous challenges.
A powerful vision attracts ideas, people, and resources. It builds momentum and inspires complementary organizations and institutions to commit, persist, and give their best. Under this philosophy, Echono has deployed professionalism, discipline, and persistence to change the narrative of educational growth in Nigeria.
At this juncture, it is pertinent to illuminate some statutory principles guiding TETFund’s operations. The main source of the Fund’s income is the three per cent Education Tax, paid from the assessable profits of companies registered in Nigeria. The Federal Inland Revenue Service assesses and collects this tax on behalf of the Fund.
As stipulated in the TETFund Act, funds are distributed to beneficiary institutions in a 2:1:1 ratio among universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education.
The Fund is neither involved in awarding contracts in beneficiary institutions nor in nominating scholars for capacity-building interventions. It is only responsible for disbursing funds and monitoring projects. Awards of contracts are handled by the beneficiary institutions themselves. Though these points have been reiterated previously, they bear repeating.
In accordance with the TETFund Act, intervention allocations are not required to pass through the National Assembly for approval, as they do not form part of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation under Section 80(1) of the Constitution. This undermines a core claim in Aljazirah’s report.
The Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation clarified in 2013 that TETFund’s intervention funds do not require National Assembly appropriation.
Therefore, those targeting this critical national institution should abandon their toxic mischief and look elsewhere.
■ Momodu, a public affairs analyst, is based in Benin.
