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Behind the clinical calm of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, millions of naira changed hands under circumstances that left serious questions unanswered, as a review of the institution’s finances uncovered about ₦24.01 million in payments lacking supporting documents or routed through officers rather than the designated electricity distributor.
The review, covering the hospital’s financial activities between March 2018 and October 2019, identified two issues involving a combined ₦24,012,000.
It was discovered that ₦19.44 million was paid by the hospital between March 2018 and August 2019 through vouchers that were not accompanied by store receipts/issue vouchers, receipts, or invoices.
The action is not in line with Financial Regulations 2009, paragraph 603(i), which requires relevant supporting documents to accompany payment vouchers. Thereby exposing the payments to the risk of payment for works not done and diversion of public funds.
Reacting, the hospital management explained that some of the supporting documents had not been attached to the paid vouchers because they were kept in the original approval files.
Management said the documents had subsequently been retrieved and attached as required, adding that necessary precautions would be observed going forward.
Also discovered between March and October 2018 was the payment of ₦4.5 million to two officers for prepaid-meter electricity credit instead of paying the electricity distribution company directly.
The transactions also lacked bills or payment receipts attached to the vouchers, violating Financial Regulations 2009, paragraphs 603(i), 713 and 613, alongside Treasury Circular TRY/A88&B8/2008. This action risks the loss of government funds and diversion of government funds.
Management explained that ₦2.5 million, covered by Payment Voucher No. 017/18, was paid to Ahmad Sadiq Abubakar, secretary of the hospital’s Electricity Monitoring Committee, for the onward purchase of electricity tokens.
The hospital subsequently stated that electricity bills would henceforth be paid directly to the Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JED), its designated collection agent.
Source: …Secretsreporters