- N2bn cash withdrawn a month to 2019 poll
- …Raises alarms over suspicious loans
A forensic audit report has revealed, among other astounding findings of alleged wrongdoing during the period, that at least N11.9bn of public funds were carted away from the treasury of Kwara State between 2011 and 2019 without any lawful linkage to any project or activity.
The FidelinfoNews gathered this was contained in a statement by the Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye On Thursday, it says the audit also revealed that in February 2019, with only one month to the general election, N2 billion in cash withdrawals made within eight days were unrelated to any projects or official expenses.
Partner at the SSAC and Professionals Anthony Iniomoh stated during the presentation of the report to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Thursday that the report is in two volumes and covers Internally Generated Revenue, Capital Receipts, Internal and External Loans, Recurrent / Overhead Expenditure, Personnel Cost (Salaries and Wages), Capital Expenditure, Assets Disposed, Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, Infrastructe
The statement reads;
“A few highlights of our findings may be necessary for the record. Our forensic audit revealed a colossal pilfering of N11, 981,268,709 which we recommended should be recovered to the public coffers. Similarly, we recommended to the state government to prosecute certain officers and companies in addition to claiming exemplary damages on transactions totalling N6,023,358,444, amongst other key findings,” Inumoh said at the presentation of the report.
“This is especially so in the cases of firms that we observed were paid huge public funds without any evidence of work done on record. In one instance, records show that a firm that was incorporated at the Corporate Affairs Commission on 14th June, 2016 was paid by the state government for a contract it purportedly executed for the state in April of the same year. It became apparent that this was a preconceived attempt to defraud the state.
“There was an instance of public officer getting paid at two different places for years, which is a clear breach of the law. Other infractions arising as a result of obvious conflict of interest and violation of due process were also spotlighted for the government to draw up new policy instruments to prevent such in the future.
“There was also a cash withdrawal within 8 days of N2.06 billion in February 2019 which was of interest to the audit. However, no documentation was made available to validate the purpose for which the money was withdrawn. There were also several other cash withdrawals within the state over the period running into billions of Naira which we could not validate.
“These and others have been recommended to be referred to an Administrative Panel of Enquiry. Furthermore, the audit revealed that loans were obtained by the Kwara State Government within the period under review.
“The elements of these loans could not be validated. Above all, the bank accounts to which these loans were disbursed to and what the loans were used for could not be established or validated.”
The report suggested to the government to prosecute some individuals and firms indicted in the two volume report, while other issues are to be referred to administrative panel of inquiry for some individuals to explain their roles in the many infractions.
Governor AbdulRazaq, for his part, said the revelations were truly disturbing but hardly surprising, given the patterns of events in those years.
“We thank you for the robust work. It confirms what we have been saying all along,” he added.
“We also saw that it has taken a bit of time and I know that there were certain deliberate efforts to obstruct your work. That was why it has taken some time because you have made certain complaints about that and we tried to push those that were supposed to open the doors to make the doors easy for you.
“Your report, like others, will help us to steadily put the state in the right direction to deepen transparency and accountability. We will go through the report fully and look into your recommendations.
“With few things you said know, it is mind-boggling especially withdrawing cash of over N2bn a month to the election and all sorts of infractions that took place. Certainly, we shall progress from here and do the needful.”
Prof. Mamma Saba Jubril, secretary to the state governor, Senior Ibrahim Suleiman, attorney general and commissioner of justice, Florence Olasumbo Oyeyemi, commissioner of finance, AbdulGaniyu Sani, accountant general of the state, and Abdulrazaq Folorunsho, permanent secretary of the ministry of finance, all attended the event.
End.
Tijani Dako and Bamidele Sobiye are additional members of the audit company.
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