Law School paid worker N36m dressing allowance, N32m to cleaner

The Office of Auditor-General of the Federation has uncovered financial infractions in the records of the Nigerian Law School.

The infractions ranged from outright misappropriation to spending without approval and diversion of pension.

This is contained in the 2015 Auditor-General’s report submitted to the Senate Committee on Public Account.

Nine queries were issued by the Office of Auditor-General of Federation to management of Nigerian Law School in 2015 according to the report.

The management of the institution, led by its Director-General, Prof. Isa Chiroma, appeared before the Senate panel on Thursday to defend the queries.

The Auditor-General queried the payment of another N36m paid as dressing allowance through the account of one of the staff for 52 others without approval and in violation of Nigeria’s Financial Act.

“The management could not substantiate this payment with any approval from Salaries and Wages Commission to enable the audit team determine the genuineness of these payment to staff. No appropriation in this request,” the report said.

The report also indicted the law school for paying N32m to unnamed cleaner over period of 12 months against Nigeria extant laws.

The queries also said that N34.3m was paid for training of staff without approval from federal government.

Responding to the queries, Chiroma noted that he was not the Director-General of the institution during the period under review, saying “I can’t imagine the Law School paying N36m into one account on behalf of others.”

The Auditor-General’s report further revealed from examination of payment voucher that the Law School, at various intervals, made use of the pension funds to offset expenses not related to payment of pension, contrary to extant Financial Regulation.

Chiroma was asked to recover the sum involved and return same to the pension account.

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