Federal Science College, Sokoto Sinks Into Regulatory Breach After ₦3.82 Million Is Diverted Into Staff Bank Accounts Against Financial Regulations

NewsNGR

A compliance review of financial operations at the Federal Science College, Sokoto, has uncovered documented breaches of the Federal Government’s e-payment directives, involving a total sum of ₦3,823,908.00 disbursed during the 2020 fiscal year.

The transactions, which occurred between February and December 2020 under the administration of the college Principal, Mr. Esom Chukwu, involved the routing of public funds through the personal bank accounts of 13 institutional officers rather than directly to the service providers or final beneficiaries.

According to official accounting guidelines, the payment method utilized by the college management directly contravened established national fiscal policies. Specifically, the transactions violated Paragraphs 713 and 613 of the Financial Regulations 2009. These provisions explicitly prohibit the disbursement of public funds to intermediate officials for subsequent distribution.

Furthermore, the actions bypassed the strict mandates of Treasury Circular TRY/A88&B8/2008. Introduced to eliminate cash-handling discrepancies, the circular requires all federal ministries, departments, and agencies to process payments exclusively through the approved electronic payment system directly into the validated bank accounts of the ultimate beneficiaries.

An analysis of the 13 separate transactions revealed a complete absence of onward-transfer documentation, secondary receipts, or verification vouchers confirming that the funds were ever remitted to external vendors or utilized for school operations.

Financial analysts and auditors note that routing institutional funds through the private bank accounts of staff creates severe institutional vulnerabilities, including: the lack of a direct audit trail between the government treasury and the end supplier prevents verification of whether the funds remained within the public system.

Without delivery notes or direct electronic transaction receipts from vendors, there is no verifiable evidence that the contracts, goods, or services paid for were ever actually executed or received by the college.

Passing public money through multiple personal accounts circumvents standard civil service checks and balances, rendering the final destination of the ₦3.8 million untraceable within the school’s official ledgers.

As of the compilation of this report, administrative records show no evidence that the ₦3,823,908.00 has been recovered or returned to the federal treasury. Similarly, no internal disciplinary actions, queries, or formal sanctions have been issued against the 13 officers who received the cash injections or the management team that authorized the approvals.

The management of Federal Science College, Sokoto, has not released an official statement or provided documentation to clarify the ultimate destination of the funds, leaving the regulatory infraction unresolved on the institution’s balance sheet.

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