The Senate Public Accounts Committee Wednesday gave the National Examination Council (NECO) 24 hours to provide documentary evidence for N7.2 billion examination materials it paid for between January and June 2017.
The chairman of the committee, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, gave the ultimatum when NECO Registrar Professor Godswill Obioma appeared before the panel to respond to the query of the Auditor-General of the Federation against the examination body.
The Auditor-General, in a report, had said: “Examination Materials in the sum of N7.2bn were paid for between January and June 2017 without evidence of receipt of the items.
“There was no evidence to confirm the receipt of the materials or their usage thereby contravening Financial Regulation 2402 which requires store keeper to certify that stores purchased have been received and taken on store ledger charge in the store ledger.
“Inquiry to verify the true position of items revealed that a committee was in charge of the receipt and distribution of examination materials.
“However, despite the repeated request for documentary evidence in relation to the supply, the committee failed to produce any document for verification.”
But the registrar told the committee that NECO examination materials were sensitive items kept closely guarded to avoid leakages.
However, when the chairman of the committee asked for the Store Receipt Vouchers (SRV) for the expenses of the ‘sensitive materials’, the NECO officials, who appeared in company of the registrar, were unable to provide the receipt.
Urhoghide, therefore, asked the NECO registrar to provide the receipts to the committee within 24 hours or refund the N7.2bn to the Federal Government.
Join Daily Trust WhatsApp Community For Quick Access To News and Happenings Around You.
