Patrick Obia
The Teachers Continuous Training Institute, Biase, Cross River State, was established in September 2021 as a world-class academic institution to train and retrain teachers/educators, and artisans in the state and the country, equipping them with modern teaching techniques at affordable rates.
Teachers, like many Nigerian workers, are underpaid and find it difficult to pay for courses that enhance their skills.
Since its establishment by the former Governor of the state, Senator Ben Ayade, the Institute has faced reports of inadequacies, months-long salary delays, corruption, and the victimization of staff by those in charge.
More disturbing was the inhumane treatment of a physically challenged staff member, Ebunta Sunday Etta (Est. No. TCTI/REG/SE/099), who was said to have been compelled by the Bursar to climb a staircase for a meeting.
Unfortunately, he fell from the first floor of the Administration Block and sustained severe knee ligament injury.
With many corrupt and sharp practices going on in the Institute, ranging from budget and release racketeering, budget padding, diversion of funds, impersonation, favouritism in promotion and treatment of staff, among others.
CrossRiverWatch investigation reveals how salaries are still being paid to staff who have either resigned or been sacked from the school, into the institution’s accounts, and then diverted for personal gain.
Our investigation has it that at least 19 out of about 197 staff of the Institute’s salaries who have resigned their appointment from the institute between 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025, still run into the institution’s account Account Number: 2040580223, Account Name: Teachers Continuous Training Institute Biase, Bank: First Bank Ltd.
According to the findings, this money is, in turn, spent through suspicious channels, including doctored receipts by the school authority, led by the Director General, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja. CrossRiverWatch has the names but withheld for editorial purposes.
Syphoning Institution Money Through Fake Receipts
To further expose the rot in the Teachers Continuous Training Institute, Biase, CrossRiverWatch unravels how the institution’s DG and Bursar regularly doctored receipts – flight tickets, equipment purchases, and others to corner the school’s treasury.
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In some of the receipts and documents obtained and probed by CrossRiverwatch, it is either the receipts or ticket numbers, time, or date is altered.
The serial numbers and dates of the documents – JourneyAid Nigeria Limited (often used), you would see that the receipts or invoices are fraudulently made and filled just to suck the Institute’s funds.
Similarly, another doctored document is a flight ticket. One carries 14th of January, 2024, while the other is 15th of January, 2024, both en route from Abuja to Calabar. Same flight.
Both flight tickets have the same departure and arrival times, with only a one-day interval. Also, the ticket numbers are tampered with.
The question is: why did the DG, Prof. Taoheed Adedoja, travel from Abuja to Calabar two days in a row? Clear evidence of fraud, an aviation expert questioned.
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In the Institute’s 2024 approved budget, N81.6 million was allocated to the Domestic Servant Allowance. But reliable sources indicate that the Institute does not have domestic staff.
There are two staff members attached to the Director General’s house, both of whom are Institute staff.
One of them is Mr. Ita Eret Ita of the Works and Services Department. He is paid as a staff member on CONTISS 2, Step 1. His salary is N86,000 per month. That is N86,000 X 12 = N1,032,000 per annum. It is believed that the DG uses him as his messenger instead of an Assistant Porter.
Another is Mr. Udoudo Emmanuel Sunday, a Clerical Assistant II, who is used as the DG’s cook. He is under the DG’s Office. He is on CONTISS 4, Step 2, and he earns N91,000 per month.
That is, N91,000 X 12 = N1,097,076 per annum. A critical analysis shows that it does not amount to N81.6 million, as captured in the 2024 Budget.
This means that, in a year, the Domestic Servant Allowance of N79.5 is not accounted for by the school authority.
CrossRiverWatch is still verifying an allegation that the school Bursar is unable to account for monies realized from TCTI Demonstration Secondary School and TCTI Nursery/Primary School of the Institute, as staff accuse the school authority of embezzlement.
Meanwhile, on September 27th, 2022, the institute paid for a project that has not seen the light of day. The sum of 16 million Naira was paid to Qplus Global Nigeria to set up and purchase online/offline e-library materials for the institute’s nursery/primary and secondary schools.
The Registrar, Mrs. Rebecca Joseph Odumusor, conveyed the management’s approval in a letter she signed and addressed to Qplus Global Nigeria, stating that “the sum of sixteen million, one hundred thousand Naira (NI6,100, 000) only, as per attached specifications and prices, is approved for the project.”
The Registrar who is also accused of mismanagement by staff of the institute, said an advanced payment of 80% of the said amount – “twelve million, eight hundred and eighty-eight thousand Naira (N12,880,000.00) only, has been approved while the balance of 20% which is three million two hundred and twenty thousand Naira (N3,220,000.00) only, shall be paid on satisfactory completion and delivery of the assignment,” giving deadline of three weeks for completion.
CrossRiverWatch’s investigation reveals that more than three years later, the project is not sighted anywhere – online/offline.
In January 2024, the Institute, through Uplah Paul Oko, alleged to be the Bursar’s close relative, was said to have purchased a ZKT Tesco K40 Pro attendance machine from a company at a rate of N80,000, for a price of N4.5 million.
Outrage struck in the school when the machine was not working properly due to its price tag of 4.5 million Naira.
This led to staff protests. The protest subsequently led to a committee being set up to investigate the machine’s authenticity. After an investigation led by Dr. Emmanuel Omini, Chairman, and Mr. Sylvester Wilfred Ikoi, Secretary, the committee discovered that the amount was far beyond its intended purpose.
The committee recommended that the dealer’s contract be terminated and the advance payment refunded.
“The company has not exhibited sufficient evidence of practical installation of such a system based on the interaction the Committee had with the company representative who came for the installation on the 23rd January, 2024.
“The version of the time attendance terminal to be deployed, ZK Teco, is limited for comparison. The Institute may not get value for the job that is being carried out.”
The committee recommended: “Based on the Committee’s observations, for the Institute to get value for its money, the services of DOMINUS MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION should be terminated forthwith.
“DOMINUS MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION should be requested to refund any advance payment made to the institute’s account.”
CrossRiverWatch further probed the TCTI’s monthly subvention and discovered that it receives N52.4 million, with personnel costs at N34.4 million. The rest of the money cannot be traced to meaningful use by the institution.
At the same time, N26 million on paper was said to have been used as overhead for June 2023, whereas personnel costs were pegged at N18.6 million.
Recently, on Tuesday, 17 February 2026, one Bassey Obeten Essien from Nko, Yakurr LGA, lost his life at the Institute because of negligence and lack of medical equipment and safety measures, despite budgeting in millions for the Institute’s clinic in 2025 and previous years’ budgets.
The late Bassey slumped and died during a class organized by Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) at the Institute: the program’s safety officer, Engr. T. O. Abang, who is the Acting Director of Works and Services, could not salvage the situation.
‘Mismanagement And Embezzlement Of Institute’s Funds’
In 2024, the administration led by Prof. Adedoja approved a N20 million budget to enhance sporting facilities that could benefit over 253 students at the Institute.
Regrettably, these funds were misappropriated by the Management, said the Chairman and Treasurer of NASU, TCTI Comrade Egwu Inamang Ukam and Comrade Blessing Ibiang, respectively.
The Union noted that in 2022, N16 million was allocated for the establishment of an e-library within the Institute; however, there is no document supporting the existence of such a project.
“In September 2023, the administration led by His Excellency Prof. Ben Ayade earmarked N100 million for infrastructure development at the Institute.
This allocation has yielded minimal tangible results, evidenced only by the procurement of 50 desktop computers for N31 million, overseen by the Director-General, Prof. Adedoja, and one of his associates, Mr. Yemisi, from Lagos.”
The victimized staff added that N5 million has been allocated for internet access since 2022, yet the Institute remains entirely devoid of internet connectivity.
Also, between June and December 2025, when there were no teachers’ workshops and training, Prof. Adedoja and his Management team misappropriated N142 million.
It is also disclosed that the Management claimed that the Institute’s wage bill would stand at N48 million if the new minimum wage is applied, out of a N52.4 million monthly subvention.
However, available evidence indicates the actual wage bill is N33.8 million, leaving N18.6 million unaccounted for each month, excluding Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).
“These unaccounted revenues include Nursery/Primary School N2.3 million per term, Demonstration Secondary School N42.2 million per term, hostel accommodation N5 million per month, and hall rentals N500,000.
Financial experts within the NASU-TCTI Branch confirm that these funds are sufficient to clear all arrears owed to NASU members without increasing government subvention.
“Sadly, these funds are allegedly treated as personal funds by the Director-General and the Bursar.”
To further deepen the sharp practices, CrossRiverWatch, in further digging, unraveled how the DG spent a whopping sum of sixty-seven million, two hundred and two thousand, two hundred and eighty (67,202,280) Naira between September 2021 and December 2025 on Duty Tour Allowance (DTA), numbering about 121 trips within and out of Nigeria.
This money was received in the name of JourneyAid Nigeria Limited, a company with an office address at N0 434, Ajose Adegun Street, Utako, Abuja.
A quick search shows that the company is not registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), which calls into question its authenticity.
Many of the staff who spoke to CrossRiverWatch, called for immediate probe on the DG, Bursar, Registrar and other top management staff, describing them as “running the institute as personal business.”
Staff Protest Over Victimization, Months Of Unpaid Allowance
On the hills of financial recklessness is the victimization and imbalance in promotion. Staff who dare to speak against the practice are perceived as enemies and treated accordingly.
Staff of the Institute began a 3-day protest on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026, over 26 months of unpaid earned allowances, outstanding minimum wage arrears, poor staff welfare, and alleged maladministration within the institute.
The protest, organized by members of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), was held within the institute, with participants bearing placards bearing various inscriptions and disrupting both academic and non-academic activities, and demanding urgent government intervention and the removal of the DG and Bursar.
They alleged that the institute owes staff seven months of approved minimum wage arrears, accusing the management of paying salaries in irregular “token” amounts – a practice they said has prevented staff from accessing loans from commercial banks, as their salaries are neither paid in full nor properly reflected in official records.
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In a protest letter addressed to the institute’s management and signed by NASU branch chairman, Comrade Egwu Inamang Ukam, the workers further complained that the institute failed to pay the 2024 incremental step, which is meant to increase staff salaries annually.
The angry protesters fingered management for playing foul with their tax deductions from their salaries, which do not reflect on their Tax Identification Numbers (TINs), despite regular deductions.
They accused management of victimizing staff who do not dance to their tune.
Not A Palatable Situation – Government
The Cross River State Government described the situation in TCTI, including the recent protest by staff, as “not palatable.”
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Ntufam, Mrs. Offiong Ani Offiong, while being careful with her words, said that though the loggerhead between staff and Management is internal, efforts are in place to arrest the crisis.
She disclosed this after the Commissioner for Education in the State, Prof. Stephen Odey, referred CrossRiverWatch to the Permanent Secretary, stating that he was not currently disposed at the time.
“I have not been mandated to issue a statement, but we are on top of it,” she said, being economical with words.
She expressed further: “We have a school there, young children – what are they learning with this whole situation? It is not palatable for us at the ministerial level,” Mrs. Offiong expressed.
Meanwhile, all efforts to get the school to react proved abortive, as Ukam Udumusor, who is acting as the Institute’s Information Officer, refused to take calls or respond to messages (0815 243 8688) after the initial call.
CrossRiverWatch gathered that he is acting on behalf of Amas Peter Maja, who has been on leave of absence since January 2024 as an Appointee, Supervisor for Environment in Obanliku LGA.
This report was produced with support from Civic Media Lab.
