According to a recently released audit report, about N11.9 billion was carted away from the Kwara State treasury between 2011 and 2019 which was the time Abdulfatah Ahmed governed Kwara State.
In a statement on Thursday, Rafiu Ajakaiye, the chief press secretary to the current Kwara State governor, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, said :
“The audit also showed that N2 billion cash withdrawals not tied to any project or official expenditure were made within eight days in February 2019, barely one month to the general election.”
Clariform reports that Mr Ahmed had previously denied accusations corruption and diversion of state funds.
According to the revelation from the forensic audit, around N11.9 billion of public funds went missing from the Kwara state treasury between 2011 and 2019 as the funds were not tied to any project or programme. The audit also exposed other mind-boggling revelations of alleged malfeasance within that period.
Senior partner at the SSAC and Professionals, Anthony Iniomoh who spoke during the submission of the report to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq on Thursday said the report is made up of two volumes.
The two volumes 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; Infrastructural Fund Kwara (IFK); Harmony Holdings Limited; amongst others.
NOTABLE QUOTE
While submitting the report to the governor, Mr. Anthony Iniomoh said: “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 totaling N6,023,358,444, amongst other key findings.”
He continued, “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 two-volume report indicted some individuals and firms.
Accepting the report, Governor AbdulRazaq said the revelations were really disturbing but he is not surprised considering the patterns of events in those years.
In the governors words, “We thank you for the robust work. It confirms what we have been saying all along.”
“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 now, it is mind-boggling, especially withdrawing cash of over N2 billion a month to the election and all sorts of infractions that took place. Certainly, we shall progress from here and do the needful.”
Amongst the notable personalities that attended the event were: the Secretary to the State Government, Mamma Jubril; Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Ibrahim Suleiman; Commissioner for Finance Florence Oyeyemi; Accountant General of the State AbdulGaniyu Sani; Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance Abdulrazaq Folorunsho.
