We conducted exams for 19 states on credit, Zamfara owing N1b – NECO

Dr. Jacob Ekele, Director Finance and Administration, National Examination Council, says the body conducted examinations for students in 19 states on credit.
Ekele made the revelation at a meeting with the House of Representatives Committee on Finance on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said Zamfara State topped the list of states owing the examination body with over N1 billion debt.
He said: “Our major problem as at today is that about 19 states are owing NECO.
“The examination was done for them on credit, especially Zamfara.
“Some states, the government pay for the students and they are still owing us.”
The director explained that the debt had affected prompt remittances into the Consolidation Revenue Fund.
The Chairman of the committee, Hon. James Faleke, demanded that NECO provides all relevant documents to show its income, expenditure and remittance between 2011 and 2019.
Faleke said the Auditor General of the Federation’s report suggested that NECO was owing CRF to the tune of N6 billion.
Faleke demanded for NECO’s financial statements, number of enrollees and amount paid for examinations since 2011.
The chairman also demanded for details of NECO’s expenditures and records of all capital projects embarked upon by the council during the period under review.
He said the council should provide its budget since 2011 and documents showing reconciliation made with the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
Faleke recommended that status enquiry be placed on NECO for a comprehensive investigation into the institution’s finances.