The 7-man judicial panel of inquiry looking into the activities of
the Abia state Universal Basic Education Board ASUBEB, has discovered
that important bank documents are missing from the financial
transactions of the board, since its inception.
Abia state government set up the panel to look into the cost of the board’s general administration, contracts and supplies made and other funds received and expended since its inception to December 2012.
During the Panel’s sitting on Tuesday at its Umuahia High Court, officers of the board denied knowledge of some bank statements and cheque stumps used by the board. In fact, the officers were divided over who kept custody of certain financial documents.
Not satisfied with the situation, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Kenneth Wosu ordered Orji Nworisa and Anyim Friday to appear before the panel on Friday this week for clarifications.
Giving evidence, Mrs. Ginikanwa Chukwu, an accounts officer with the board who said that she worked briefly in the board’s cash office, explained that Orji Nworisa, a reconciliation officer in the board and Anyim whom she said was in-charge of the bank accounts for the Local Government Education Authority under the board should be held responsible for the alleged missing financial books.
According to her, the board has financial transactions with 14 commercial banks, the names and corresponding accounts numbers of which she submitted to the panel. She also submitted the statements of accounts from January 2008 to December 2012 to the panel.
Chukwu however told the panel that the bank documents for 4 out of the 14 bank accounts were not in her custody.
She specifically named the accounts they are not in her custody to
include ASUBEB JSS bank account and ASUBEB special education bank
account with Access Bank. She alleged that they were under the control
of Anyim, while ASUBEB/UBE marching grants account and ASUBEB LGEA
account also with Access Bank were under the control of Nworisa.
Inaugurating the panel two months ago, Governor Orji explained that the panel was self motivated as it would also probe part of his own administration. He also explained that the panel was not for witch-hunting.
He said that if he refused to accede to the request of “the people who elected me, it looks like you are covering up something or you are part and parcel of the thing. The panel will be open”.
Urging the panel to do thorough job, the governor promised to implement the report once the white paper is out because “we are not witch-hunting people, I am doing what people want me to do”.
Orji outlined the terms of reference of the panel to include ascertaining the total sum of money received by ASUBEB since inception till December 31, 2012; identify the projects executed by the board from inception, the costs and extent of work done on them.
The panel was also charged with the responsibility of determining if the funds accrued to the board within the period were properly managed. It will also identify all the assets of ASUBEB, their locations and if there was mismanagement, and to find out those involved.
“You can see that the span covers this administration”, the governor said and urged the panel “to do good work and be free and fair”.
Abia state government set up the panel to look into the cost of the board’s general administration, contracts and supplies made and other funds received and expended since its inception to December 2012.
During the Panel’s sitting on Tuesday at its Umuahia High Court, officers of the board denied knowledge of some bank statements and cheque stumps used by the board. In fact, the officers were divided over who kept custody of certain financial documents.
Not satisfied with the situation, the Chairman of the panel, Justice Kenneth Wosu ordered Orji Nworisa and Anyim Friday to appear before the panel on Friday this week for clarifications.
Giving evidence, Mrs. Ginikanwa Chukwu, an accounts officer with the board who said that she worked briefly in the board’s cash office, explained that Orji Nworisa, a reconciliation officer in the board and Anyim whom she said was in-charge of the bank accounts for the Local Government Education Authority under the board should be held responsible for the alleged missing financial books.
According to her, the board has financial transactions with 14 commercial banks, the names and corresponding accounts numbers of which she submitted to the panel. She also submitted the statements of accounts from January 2008 to December 2012 to the panel.
Chukwu however told the panel that the bank documents for 4 out of the 14 bank accounts were not in her custody.
Inaugurating the panel two months ago, Governor Orji explained that the panel was self motivated as it would also probe part of his own administration. He also explained that the panel was not for witch-hunting.
He said that if he refused to accede to the request of “the people who elected me, it looks like you are covering up something or you are part and parcel of the thing. The panel will be open”.
Urging the panel to do thorough job, the governor promised to implement the report once the white paper is out because “we are not witch-hunting people, I am doing what people want me to do”.
Orji outlined the terms of reference of the panel to include ascertaining the total sum of money received by ASUBEB since inception till December 31, 2012; identify the projects executed by the board from inception, the costs and extent of work done on them.
The panel was also charged with the responsibility of determining if the funds accrued to the board within the period were properly managed. It will also identify all the assets of ASUBEB, their locations and if there was mismanagement, and to find out those involved.
“You can see that the span covers this administration”, the governor said and urged the panel “to do good work and be free and fair”.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for your comment, keep reading our news and articles