A recent financial audit of the Federal Government College (FGC) in Buni Yadi, Yobe State, has exposed significant lapses in fiscal management, revealing that over ₦2 million was disbursed without the necessary supporting documentation during the final months of 2020. Investigations indicate that twenty individual payments were executed between August and December of that year, completely bypassing standard regulatory protocols required for public expenditure.
The total amount, recorded at ₦2,008,000.00, was purportedly earmarked for various institutional needs, including directorate promotions, the procurement of pharmaceuticals, electrical maintenance, and fumigation services. However, auditors found that the school’s management failed to provide essential initiating memos, Store Requisition Vouchers, delivery notes, or formal invoices to validate these transactions.
This failure to maintain adequate records stands in direct violation of the 2009 Financial Regulations. Specifically, Paragraph 603 mandates that all payment vouchers must be accompanied by full particulars, including LPOs, invoices, and relevant authorization letters, to ensure accountability. Additional oversight failures were noted regarding paragraphs 708 and 415, which serve as the legal framework for the prudent handling of government assets.
The period in question coincides with the leadership tenure of Dr. Bibinu Samuel Ahmed, who took office as the principal of the institution in September 2020. While the findings do not explicitly assign personal culpability to the principal, the administrative breaches occurred while he was at the helm of the college’s management.
Financial experts monitoring the case have warned that such undocumented spending poses a severe risk to public funds. The absence of a transparent paper trail makes it impossible to verify whether the goods were delivered or the services were actually performed, creating a significant loophole for potential financial mismanagement.
Despite attempts to seek clarification regarding these irregularities, the college management has remained silent, failing to respond to queries about the missing documentation. This lack of transparency has raised urgent concerns regarding the internal controls at the institution, particularly at a time when the school is working to recover from previous security-related setbacks. Experts now suggest that beyond the physical rehabilitation of the school’s infrastructure, there is an pressing need for a comprehensive overhaul of its administrative and financial practices to restore public trust.
Source: NaijaProbe