Govt uncovers N8.4 billion fraud in Kogi varsity

KOGI state government has raised the alarm over the discovery of over N8.4 billion fraud in the state owned Kogi State University, Ayingba.

The government said three members if staff of the institution were found to have been embezzling N100 million every month for the past seven years.

Speaking with newsmen after the weekly executive council meeting at the government, the director- general of media and publicity to the state governor, Mr Kingsley Fanwo, said the fraud was discovered during the last staff verification exercise.

He said the money was being stolen by the members of staff by injecting names of ghost workers in the payroll of the school.

Although, the governor’s spokesman did not disclose the names of the affected staff, he however vowed that every kobo defrauded the state government must be accounted for.

He also disclosed that government approved the establishment of three befitting markets in Ankpa, kabba and Adavi to boost commercial activities in the state.

According to him, contracts for the construction of the markets had already been awarded and work is expected to commence by September and last for one year.

Fanwo also disclosed that council has approved the reconstruction of the office of the state owned newspaper, The Graphic, to give it a befitting look.

He said council has also declared a state of emergency on the environment owing to the ravaging floods that have devastated parts of the state.

He said a committee has already been set up which will liaise with the state emergency management agency which is expected to quickly do something about the raging floods that have cuts off some communities in the state.