Outrage in Yola: SUPA Applicants Accuse ITF of Fraud, Name Tampering, and Chaotic Screening

By Usman Umar, Yola

Tension and frustration gripped Yola on Thursday as applicants of the Federal Government’s Skill-Up Artisans Programme (SUPA) under the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) accused the agency of misconduct, name manipulation, and poor coordination during the ongoing screening exercise.

The aggrieved applicants, who thronged the ITF office along Numan Road, Jimeta-Yola, claimed that their names were deliberately omitted from the official master list despite receiving text message invitations from the organization to participate in the screening.

Several applicants who spoke to our reporter  on condition of anonymity alleged that their names were replaced with individuals who never applied for the programme — describing the process as “corrupt, frustrating, and unfair.”

> “I received the invitation message on my phone, but when I arrived here, my name was missing from their list,” one applicant lamented. “Shockingly, some people who were never part of the registration are being attended to. The whole process looks manipulated.”

Another female applicant who had been at the venue since morning complained about the lack of orderliness and transparency in the exercise.

> “The queue is disorganized; people are jumping the line with the help of insiders. It’s really unfair,” she said. “We were told not to offer any inducement to the staff, but it seems that rule is not being followed.”

Applicants further accused ITF officials of mishandling the process, citing poor planning and favoritism as major reasons for the confusion. The chaotic scene reportedly led to heated arguments among applicants, with some expressing fears that the exercise might have already been compromised.

Despite repeated efforts by our reporter to get an official response from ITF authorities in Yola, none of the officials was willing to comment on the allegations as of press time.

The Skill-Up Artisans Programme (SUPA) is part of the Federal Government’s initiative to train and empower artisans and technicians across the country through the Industrial Training Fund. However, the controversy surrounding the Yola screening has raised serious questions about the integrity and fairness of the exercise.