The former executive secretary of Tertiary Education Trust fund (TETFund), Abdullahi Baffa, has alleged that the minister of education, Adamu Adamu, orchestrated his removal from office.
Baffa spoke in an interview with BBC Hausa Service. Noting that Adamu has made attempts in the past to sack him, he said the minister accused him of corruption and speaking to the press without permission.
It will be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari sacked Baffa on Tuesday, replacing him immediately with Suleiman Bogoro, the agency’s former executive secretary.
“On Friday night, I was informed at the Presidential Villa that the minister of education came with a letter reporting me to the president,” he was quoted as saying.
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Baffa said he had learnt of his removal as well as of the “unfounded” allegations levelled against him from presidency sources.
“I asked what was my offence? They alleged that the offences were inaccessibility, insubordination and speaking to the press without the minister’s permission,” he added.
“Allegation of inaccessibility is unfounded as the minister knows that I spend more time in the ministry as his technical aide than in my TETfund office.”
Baffa also rebuffed allegations of receiving contracts or kickbacks from tertiary institutions in the country.
He, however, noted that the termination of his appointment did not surprise him because of his rough relationship with the minister.