Secrets Reporters
Public education funds are meant to build classrooms, strengthen institutions and support the people entrusted with shaping the next generation, but when financial records begin to blur the line between approved expenditure and unexplained payments, the trail of accountability becomes harder to follow. Looking at the financial activities of the Federal College of Education (Technical), Asaba, Delta State, there are concerns of ₦76.84 million involving irregular allowances, excess imprest payments, unexplained transfers to microfinance banks and the use of internally generated revenue to settle promotion arrears without the required approval under the leadership of Prof. Josephine Anene-Okakwa the provost, as at the time the issues happened.
According to the review, ₦11,700,000 was paid through 10 transactions between April 2019 and November 2020 to three college officers under the description “Provost Security votes and allowances”. The payments were made without approval from the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC), and no supporting details explaining the payments were available on record.The payments were contrary to Sections 3 and 13 of the NSIWC Act and paragraph 213(ii) of the Financial Regulations 2009, which regulate the approval and payment of salaries, allowances and related benefits in the public service.
Also discovered was ₦12,779,214 paid to the college cashier through 17 transactions between March 2019 and December 2020. The payments included a ₦1 million reimbursement made in January 2020, which exceeded the applicable imprest limit prescribed by the Financial Regulations.
There was no evidence that the imprest had been retired as of February 2021. The payments were contrary to paragraphs 1022 and 1014 of the Financial Regulations 2009, which prescribe imprest limits based on the grade of the officer concerned.
Moreover, the sum of ₦36,270,803.61 was transferred from the college’s personnel account to two microfinance banks between January 2019 and December 2020. The transfers were described as deductions for the repayment of staff loans.
However, the college failed to produce schedules of borrowers, the amounts borrowed or the repayment terms to support the transactions. The absence of the relevant records was contrary to Section 80(4) of the Constitution and paragraphs 417 and 415 of the Financial Regulations 2009, which require public expenditure to be authorised, properly documented and applied for approved purposes.
Finally, the sum of ₦16,085,897.14 from the college’s 2019 internally generated revenue was used to settle promotion and salary-increment arrears dating from 2016 and 2017. According to the findings, the arrears should have been funded from the personnel budget rather than the internally generated revenue account.
There was no evidence of National Assembly approval for the virement, or transfer of funds from one approved purpose to another. The expenditure was contrary to Section 80(4) of the Constitution and paragraphs 417 and 415 of the Financial Regulations 2009, which govern the application and movement of appropriated public funds.
