Sani Bello Orders Accounts Audit In Niger Schools

From Saka Bolaji, Minna

Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, has ordered a forensic audit of the finances of all the state-owned tertiary institutions of learning in the last two years.
Sani Bello issued the directive when he received the report of the committee on the viability of the establishment of a university of education led by Hajiya Dije Bala in Government House, Minna.
The governor ordered the audit of the accounts – the income and expenditure of all the state owned higher institutions of learning – following the recommendation of the Bala committee that a visitation panel should be instituted to help prune down financial leaks in the institutions.
Despite claims of inadequate funding, Bala had told the governor that her committee was able to established that the books of the state-owned Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai in the last three years showed that the institution is financially solvent.
This prompted the governor to direct the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology along with the Ministry of Finance to carry out the forensic audit of the income and expenditure of all the tertiary institutions in the state.
His words: “Your findings show that IBBU can stand on its own. And that aside from her internally-generated revenue, large chunk of money to be given to the university should be directed towards capital projects.
“If that is the case, I want a forensic audit of all the tertiary institutions. The Ministry of Education and that of Finance should conduct forensic audit of the books of these institutions. We have to be prudent in spending government funds.”
In her submission, Hajiya Bala had recommended the setting up of visitation panels to all the state-owned higher institution.
Justifying the need to establish a state-owned university of education, she said that a probe into the books of the state owned IBB University, Lapai showed that the institution is financially viable.
She noted that despite some wastages noticed “the university can stand on its own” with the level of funding and its internally generated revenue.