Senate on Wednesday gave the National Examination Council 24 hours to show payment of N7.2 billion examination materials between January and June 2017.
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts chaired by Senator Mathew Urhoghide gave the ultimatum following the report of the Auditor General of the Federation.
The report of the Auditor General of the Federation alleged that examination materials in the sum of N7. 2 billion were paid for between January and June 2017 without evidence of receipt of the items into the store.
But the Registrar of NECO, Professor Godswill Obioma while responding to the query before the lawmakers claimed that NECO examination materials are sensitive items that are kept closely guarded in order to avoid leakage.
However, when the chairman of the Committee demanded the Store Receipt Vouchers (SRV) for the expenses of the ‘sensitive materials’ of the examination for the year 2016, the officials of NECO who appeared in company with the Registrar were unable to present the receipt to the Committee to see.
The officials of NECO were only claiming that they have the receipt without presenting it to the committee to see.
Urhoghide however demanded that the NECO Registrar to provide the receipts to the Committee within 24 hours or refund the N7.2 billion to the Federal Government purse.
The query read, “Examination Materials in the sum of N7.2 billion were paid for between January and June 2017 without evidence of receipt of the items into store.
“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 materials purchased have been received and entered into store ledger.
“Enquiry 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.”