Beware: Criminals impersonating Senate panel to defraud higher institutions – Clerk

The Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and Tertiary Education Trust Fund on Friday raised the alarm that some dubious elements were impersonating employees of the panel’s secretariat to solicit funds from unsuspecting heads of higher institutions in Nigeria.

The Clerk to the Committee, Dr Mustapha Bintube, who made this known in a statement, however, warned heads of tertiary institutions in the country to disregard any letter soliciting funds from them.

The statement read in part, “I am directed by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND to bring to the notice of all stakeholders, heads of parastatals and higher Institutions in the country that, it has come to the notice of the committee that, some unscrupulous persons are parading themselves with fake letters of request and/or introduction, seeking assistance from the heads of higher institutions.

“The committee condemns such moves in strong terms and is therefore calling on all stakeholders to disregard any group of persons or individuals who approach them with a letter of request for assistance from the committee. Recently, some of these unknown people have engaged in criminal act of forging the committee’s letterhead to seek assistance from heads of agencies and tertiary institution in the country.

“The committee views this act as fraudulent as those involved in it do so on their own to achieve their entrenched selfish interests and to ruin the good relationship it has with stakeholders and as well to dent the integrity and reputations of the respected members of the committee on tertiary institutions and TETFUND.”

It advised those involved in the fraudulent act to desist from it as it would not hesitate to deal with anyone found wanting in accordance with the law.

It also urged the heads of higher institutions to report any suspicious person or persons to the appropriate authorities for necessary action.

The statement added, “All stakeholders are advised to disregard any form of communication other than the one which emanates from the office of the Clerk to the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND through its formal structure of communication. Furthermore, the committee members are reassuring the heads of agencies and higher institutions of upholding the values attached to their prestigious offices. Henceforth, all correspondences from any one should be verified from the Clerk of the committee to verify authenticity of any claim before acting on it.” Punch