EXCLUSIVE: Adamawa govt under Fintiri fails to account for over N600m spending

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ABDULAZIZ BUBA, MOHAMMED ADAMU & MUHAMMAD M. ALI, OCTOBER 15, 2022


The government of Adamawa under Gov. Umaru Fintiri has failed to account for a spending of over N600 million in 2020.

The funds were used for various expenses including payment of allowances for attending events organized by some ministries, departments and agencies; yet they could not provide necessary documents to justify the spending.

The state’s 2020 auditor general general’s report which flagged up the spending said some of the allowances were not even paid to people who attended the events.

Other payments were for project execution but the projects have not been carried out.

The acts by the MDAs did not only violate the state’s procurement laws but have also gone against the state’s 2020 appropriation act.

The auditor general, Mr. Ahmed Usman, in the report, said 30 MDAs were queried in respect to various spending, but their responses are still being awaited.

‘Adamawa United Football Club: An Audit Inspection of the above club has been undertaken for the period ended 31st December, 2020 and the following shortcomings were highlighted.

‘Para. 2: The General level of book-keeping in the club is poor • No fixed assets records of debtors or creditors • The records or accounts have no bearing on the provision of international public sector accounting standard (IPSAS). • Payment vouchers are irregularly treated.

‘Para. 3: The sum of N13,260,000.00 (Thirteen Million, Two Hundred and Sixty Thousand Naira) was expended as impress and allowances to ministry of youths and sports during sporting festivals but none of these officers attended the matches,' the auditor general stated in the report.

‘Para. 4: A list of Forty-Seven (47) payment vouchers to the tune of N76,403,214.00 (Seventy-Six Million, Four Hundred and Three Thousand, Two Hundred and Fourteen Naira Only) were affected for payment during Covid 19 but were not acknowledged by the team leader or recipient contrary to the provision of Financial Instructions No. 0718.

‘Para. 5: A list of three (3) payment vouchers to the tune of N2,805,000.00 (Two Million, Eight Hundred and Five Thousand Naira) were affected for payments but were not attached with relevant supporting documents.

‘Para. 6: The sum of N144,000.00 (One hundred and Forty-Four Million Naira) was expended on sports activities but was not fully accounted for,' he added.

According to him, the club similarly spent over N14 million on renovation that has never been carried out. It equally shared thousands of Naira to family and friends in the name of assisting their staff.

‘Para. 7: The sum of N8,521,660.00 (Eight Million, Five Hundred and Twenty-One Thousand, Six Hundred and Sixty Naira) was paid as service payment to Abubakar Ahmed Guru, but this payment was not fully accounted for because of some irregularities.

‘Para. 8: The total sum of Fourteen Million, Two Hundred and ThirtyThree Thousand, Three Hundred and Thirty-Four naira (N14,233,334.00) was spent on the renovation of Fufore stadium during the COVID 19 year but no work of such nature was carried out. Para. 9: The sum of N516,000.00 (Five Hundred and Sixteen Thousand Naira Only) was distributed as financial assistance to various staff between the month of May to September, 2020 but none of these and other names is a staff of the club. The club funds were spent for purpose outside the scope of the club. A comprehensive reply to the inspection report is still being awaited,’ the auditor further explained.

Other MDA’s similarly queried by the auditor are Adamawa State Universal Education Board, Yola (N47,937,695.09), Adamawa State University Mubi (N8,609,645.00), Adamawa State Post Primary Schools Management Board Yola (N791,100.00), Small Towns Water Supply Sanitation Agency, Yola ((N317,000.00), Adamawa State Scholarship Trust Funds, Yola (N9,884,704), Adamawa Television Corporation, Yola (N4,167,621.00), Adamawa State Polytechnic, Yola (N10,475,035.00), Adamawa German (Referral) Medical Center, Yola (N4,803,390.00 ), Poverty Alleviation and Wealth Creation Agency, Yola (N2,862,000.00), Adamawa State Sport Council, Yola (N320,000.00), Traditional Medicine Board, Yola (N67,500.00), College of Nursing and Midwifery, Yola (N14,600,000.00), Adamawa State College of Health and Technology, Michika (N774,000.00,N969,000.00), Adamawa State Agency for Mass Education, Yola (N289,000.00, N78,000.00), Adamawa Agricultural Development Investment Limited, Yola (N148,739.00), Adamawa Press Limited, Yola (N222,500,00), Adamawa Broadcasting Corporation, Yola (N1,638,039, N2,520,000.00, N2,022,500.00).

Others are Adamawa State Responsibility Commission, Yola (N1,047,000.00, N6,000,000.00), Pilgrims Welfare Board, Yola (N54,000.00, N78,000.00), Adamawa State Agency for Control of HIV/AIDs, Yola (N1.797,400.00), Adamawa State Urban Planning and Development Authority, Yola (N637,000.00, N180,000.00), Adamawa State College of Education Hong, Yola (N28,323,585.89, N28,960,254.00), Ministry of Comerce and Industry (₦28,833.00), Ministry of Mineral Resources (13,547,000.00,₦182,317.18), Ministry of Higher Education (₦1,172,500.00, ₦153,000.00, ₦622,500.00,₦230,000.00),Ministry for Livestock and Animal Production (₦1,099,600,₦4, 875,000,₦4, 875,000), Ministry of Rural Infrastructure and Community Development (₦263, 302.00), Ministry of Special Duties (₦3,058,700.00 ).

The auditor general flagged up the spendings for lacking relevant documents such as vouchers, receipts, among other things that can justify the spending.

YERWA EXPRESS NEWS has contacted some of the MDAs, but many appeared to be either hearing it for the first time or did nothing about to respond to the queries. They also refused to comment on it.

‘I have nothing to say about this,’ said the public relation officer of College of Nursing and Midwifery, Yola, when asked over the phone to explain N14 Million expenditure by the college.

Other MDAs, like Adamawa United Football Club, when contacted, promised to come up with an explanation but till the time of press, their responses are yet to be received.

The section 11, 12(a,b,c,d) of the state procurement act said: 'every procuring entity shall maintain documented records of all procurement proceedings made within each financial year and the procurement records shall be maintained for a period of ten years from the date of the award.

'Copies of all procurement records shall be transmitted to the bureau not later than 3 months after end of the financial year and shall show :- (a) Information identifying the procuring entity and the contractors; (b) The date of the contract award; (c) The value of the contract; and (d) The detailed records of the procurement proceedings.'

Section 13 added that: 'all unclassified procurement records shall be open to inspection by the public at the cost of copying and certifying the documents plus an administrative charge as may be prescribed from time to time by the Bureau.'

The state legislature is empowered by law to make sure the observation and recommendation of the auditor general are implemented. It is not clear yet whether the legislature has also done its part as effort to reach out to them proved abortive.

No explanation from government

When contacted several times, Humwashi Wanosikou, the spokesman of Gov. Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, could not offer explanation within press time and a promise to link our reporter with the auditor general, who had nonetheless published all he would have probably said, did not also materialize within our editorial wait time.


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