The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has directed the Federal College of Education (FCOE), Okene, Kogi State, to refund N305.47 million to the Federal Government. The directive follows glaring financial infractions and accountability gaps flagged in the Auditor-General for the Federation’s 2021–2023 Audit Reports.
The resolution was reached following a rigorous review of responses from the institution’s management regarding multiple audit queries spanning procurement irregularities, undocumented contract disbursements, and breaches of statutory financial regulations.
The committee Chaired by Hon. Bamidele Salam mandated the Federal College of Education, Okene, to return N305.47 million to the national treasury after its leadership could not justify key expenses, which involved N59.07 million spent on office furniture, N246.4 million allocated for a hostel renovation, and an additional N53.8 million payment under scrutiny. The committee upheld the audit queries after Omole Alaba, the college’s Acting Bursar speaking on behalf of management, could not give convincing answers to the accusations.
Lawmakers dismissed a Tenders’ Board meeting cited by the college to justify contract awards as a “fallacy” after records revealed it was purportedly conducted on a Sunday. “There was no evidence of compliance with procurement due process such as Tenders’ Board approval for the award, notwithstanding the existence of minutes of financial bid opening dated 1st December, 2023.”The panel also criticized severe documentation flaws, including chaotic pagination across submitted records.
The House Committee on Public Accounts reiterated its commitment to enforcing strict compliance with financial regulations, ensuring that public resources are judiciously accounted for across all federal agencies and parastatals.
