By Yekeen Nurudeen

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has constituted a seven-man committee to audit the utilisation of grants for the take-off of projects in the 12 new federal universities established between 2011 and 2013.

A former Vice-Chancellor at the University of Ibadan, Olufemi Bamiro, will serve as chairman with Kefas Magaji as Secretary.

The 12 new universities are Federal University Lokoja, Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Federal University Dutse, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, and Federal University Gusau.

Others are Federal University Kashere, Federal University Gashua, Federal University Birnin-Kebbi, Federal University Lafia, Federal University Otuoke, and Federal University Wukari.

They were established by the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan to create more access to tertiary education by Nigerian youths as well as give all states of the federation equal opportunity in term of federal university.

According to the minister, the committee is expected to find out the actual amount released to the National Universities Commission, NUC, by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, TETFund as rake-off grant for projects for the 12 universities.

The committee will also identify and confirm the number of contracts awarded, including contract sums under the take-off grants as well as ascertain if due process was followed in the award of the contracts for the projects.

It is expected to find out the amount paid on each project, including outstanding claims, if any, to date and also assess the status of the various projects implemented using the rake-off grants.