N11.9bn Fund Stolen From Kwara In Eight Years – Report

A forensic audit report has found that at least N11.9 billion in public funds were illegally removed from the Kwara State treasury between 2011 and 2019 without being legally connected to any projects or programs.

According to the audit report that the state government ordered, N2 billion in cash withdrawals that were unrelated to any projects or official expenses were made in February 2019, just eight days before the general election.

This was said in a statement issued late on Thursday by Rafiu Ajakaiye, the governor of Kwara State’s chief press secretary.

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He claims that the information came to light when the report was delivered to governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq SSAC and Professionals, a reputable consulting firm that carried out the audit.

Anthony Iniomoh, a partner at the SSAC and Professionals, stated that the report was split into two volumes and covered internal revenue generation, capital receipts, internal and external loans, recurrent and overhead expenses, personnel costs (salaries and wages), capital expenditures, assets disposition, the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, the Infrastructural Fund Kwara (IFK), Harmony Holdings Limited, among other topics.

He 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 totalling N6,023,358,444, amongst other key finding.

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“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.

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“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 and what the loans were used for could not be established or validated.”

The report recommended that the government bring legal action against some of the people and businesses named in the two volume report, while other matters were to be sent to an administrative panel of inquiry so that some people might be asked to explain their participation in the numerous offenses.

The governor, for his part, said the disclosures were extremely upsetting but not unexpected given the trends of the time.

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“We thank you for the robust work. It confirms what we have been saying all along,” he added.

“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 N2bn a month to the election and all sorts of infractions that took place. Certainly, we shall progress from here and do the needful.”