Financial recklessness: Adamawa Assembly wants C.O.E Hong provost sacked

By Dankano Umar Adamawa

The Adamawa state Legislature has urged Governor Muhammadu Umaru Jibrila to sack the provost of College of Education Hong, Dr. John Pongri for gross financial misconduct and maladministration.
It could be recalled that the lawmakers had in February 2018 invited and interrogated Dr. Pongri over allegations of financial embezzlement and mismanagement as a result of a petition written against him from the college.
However, the legislators at a plenary on Tuesday resolved that findings of the committee saddled with investigation of the matter had found Pongri wanting and therefore recommended for his removal with immediate effect.
The House through a motion by member representing Shelleng constituency,Honourable Umar Abubakar unanimously adopted the resolution of the sack directing the commissioner of higher Education to remove Dr Pongri as his continuous stay in the institution is inimical to the development of education.
Part of their findings was that ,Dr Pongri was found to have fraudulently mismanaged over N300million being proceeds from Internally Generated Revenue, IGR, in the institution.
Dr Pongri was also found to be wanting in other serious cases of abuse of office, official misconduct and malfeasance.
The House further stated that Dr Pongri has issues of integrity maintaining that,he has been addressing himself as Professor, while in fact he is not on any professorial chair of any institution.
He is also said to have exceeded the number of years in service in accordance with public service act, been above 65 years of age.
It was also stated in the petition that the college provost recruited over 200 persons including his wife , children, and close relations.
He was also said to tempered with TERTFUND funding of projects in the institutions
When contacted, the Provost , Dr Johnson Pongri refused to comment on the allegations.