Senate tackles UniAbuja, Unilorin, FUTA, others over N4.7bn ‘fraud’

The Senate has ordered some federal universities to refund N4.7bn which they were said to have been mismanaged.

This followed the report of the Senate Public Accounts Committee which probed the universities’ financial activities using audit reports.

The institutions are the University of Abuja; the Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta; the University of Ilorin; the Federal University of Technology, Akure; the Federal University, Wukari, Taraba; the Federal University,

Dutsinma, Katsina; the Federal University Lafia, Nasarawa; Modibbo Adama University, Yola; the University of Uyo; the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, among others.

The Office of the AuditorGeneral for the Federation had indicted the universities in 2016 and 2017 reports which were submitted to the Senate committee for consideration.

It said the University of Abuja generated N2.4bn internally in 2016 and 2017 but failed to remit N603m as 25 percent of the IGR.

In a written response attached to the report, the UniAbuja said it did not generate enough IGR to remit the required percentage to the federal government.

The report also indicted the UniAbuja for non-adherence to due process in the award of N229m contracts, payment of unsubstantiated provisional sums in the BoQ (Bill of Quantities) amounting to N409.3m as well as irregular award and variation of contracts value at N50m.

It said the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi awarded various contracts amounting to N509m without following due process.

The report said the Federal University of Technology,

Akure, expended N168.3m on international travels without the required approval.

It said the school also made N237m payment without raising vouchers as well as paid unaccounted N10m imprest to the Vice Chancellor.

The Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Delta, was indicted for “crafty varying upward, contact for water supply and distribution network from N81.6m to N154m.”

“The Vice Chancellor paid N53.5 million without payment vouchers and the payments did not fit into TETFund approved projects and programmes outflow,” the report added.

The Senate said its resolutions on the audit queries would be forwarded to Secretary to Government of the Federation for further action.