Auditor-General uncovers anomalies in Nigeria Law School’s financial records

By Emmanuel Olorunsola

The Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation on Thursday said it uncovered several anomalies in the financial records of the Nigerian Law School.

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The Audit report presented to the Senate, indicted the apex legal academic institution for misappropriation and spending without approvals.

The 2015 Financial Report of the office is currently being scrutinised by the Senate Public Accounts Committee for investigation.

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The report said the management of the Nigerian Law School illegally paid N32m to the account of an unnamed cleaner over a period of 12 months.

The Auditor-General report also queried the payment of N36m as dressing allowance of 52 workers to the account of a single member of staff in violation of Nigeria’s Financial Act.

It read in part, “The examination of payment records revealed that the Nigerian Law School several times paid N36m to staff as dressing allowance in 2013 alone.

“The Management could not substantiate these payments with any approval from Salaries and Wages Commission to enable the audit team to determine the genuineness of these payments to staff. No appropriation in this request.”

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Obviously dazed by the startling revelation at the audit session, the Director-General of the Nigerian Law School, Prof Isa Hayatu Chiroma, said he was not in office when the issues occurred, but agreed that “government is a continuum.”

Members of the committee established that Chiroma was not the DG of the Law School when the financial impropriety took place.

The panel, nevertheless, asked him to recover the money involved and return same into the school’s account.