BusinessDay... the voice of business: Six states’ education boards snub icpc over misappropriated N1.01bn

Six states’ education boards snub icpc over misappropriated N1.01bn
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JOHN ONAH on 27 March, 2008 12:00:00
 
The states according to ICPC are Benue , Borno, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Sokoto and
Yobe.
The boards alongside 21 others, four staff in the Abuja head office and the
head office itself misappropriated fund meant for special education
infrastructure, school feeding amongst others in 2005 and 2006.
They were thus ordered in 2007 by ICPC to refund the money but which the boards
in the six states are yet to comply with.
The commission in its report released to Federal Ministry of Education, said it
had already recovered N2.31 billion of such funds from basic education boards in
21 states, four staff in the Abuja office of the education commission.
ICPC said the amount was part of the N54.78 billion statutory allocation
representing two percent of the consolidated revenue fund given to Universal
Basic Education commission (UBEC) by the federal government in 2005 and 2006.
Modibbo Mohammed, Executive Secretary UBEC confirmed the development and said
the education boards in the six states were yet to heed the directive of ICPC.
He gave the breakdown of the funds stating that Benue state is expected to
refund N16.845 million, Borno State N3.122 million, Kebbi State, N551.562
million, Nasarawa N92.892 million, Sokoto State N349.200 million and Yobe state
N2.978 million.
He said that his commission having identified the weakness and lapses and other
irregularities highlighted by ICPC report, is now ready to block all loopholes
that had led to the incident.
“On its part, UBEC has identified the necessary actions to be taken
immediately to address the weaknesses and lapses and other irregularities
highlighted in the ICPC report” he added.
Among the immediate actions to be taken by UBEC according to the Executive
Secretary include full implementation of all the commission financial and
project monitoring reports, conduct of financial training workshops for SUBEBs
Directors of Finance, Auditors and other key staff.
Others are interactive meetings between UBEC management ad SUBEBs Chairmen to
discuss some of the findings of ICPC and chart the way forward, issuance by UBEC
of operational circulars on cash advances, direct labour, cash payment,
mobilization fee, contract award procedure and bank charges among others.
He stated that UBEC is already improving its monitoring function with the full
support of the Minister of Education