By our Correspondent
Documents allegedly reveal public funds routed through private accounts as officials admitted transactions but differ on responsibility. Century Newsfront investigation has uncovered official payment documents and obtained responses from key officials indicating that more than N147 million in public funds was allegedly paid into private bank accounts for official expenditures at the Federal College of Education, Ididep, Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Documents reviewed by this newspaper, covering transactions undertaken between late 2024 and 2025, indicate that payments for government expenditures were allegedly channeled into the personal bank accounts of the College Bursar, Mr. Samuel Oyigocho and another senior official rather than directly to contractors or service providers.
The records show that N9.418 million was allegedly paid for cleaning and fumigation, while another N18.25 million was reportedly disbursed for security services. The documents further indicate that N6 million and N9 million respectively were paid for financial consultancy, bringing the total consultancy payments reviewed to N15 million.
The investigation also uncovered alleged payments of N14.7 million for non-security documents, N14.647 million for stationery, N7 million for the printing of non-security documents and another N9 million for the printing of security documents.
Other transactions contained in the documents include an alleged payment of N30 million for Christmas hampers, N5.31 million for hosting the Sixth Governing Council meeting in Keffi and N14.38 million for hosting Federal Auditors. The records equally separate payments of N10 million each described as loans to senior officials, including one to the ‘Principal’, with deductions expected to be made from their salaries.
The transactions have raised questions over whether public funds were lawfully paid into private accounts, whether the expenditures complied with the Public Procurement Act, Financial Regulations and other extant laws governing federal institutions and whether the payments were backed by the necessary approvals and captured in the institution’s approved budget.
When contacted, the immediate past Acting Provost, Mrs. Celina Jummai Nongo, PhD did not dispute the existence of the transactions but distanced self from them, “The Provost was Dr. Edem Ntuk, the allegations happened during his time. I had no authority under the acting capacity to carry out such,” she said.
The College Bursar, Mr. Samuel Oyigocho, also did not deny that the payments were made into his account. He maintained that he acted on the directives of his superior but declined to disclose the identity of the official he described as his “boss.”
Efforts to obtain the reaction of the former Provost, Dr. Edem Ntuk, yielded no explanation regarding the specific transactions contained in the documents. Rather than respond to the allegations, he warned that he would institute legal proceedings against any media organisation that publishes the report.
As of the time of filing this report, no documentary evidence had been made available by the College management to explain the legal basis for routing official payments through private bank accounts, identify the approvals authorising the transactions or establish that the expenditures complied with applicable financial regulations.
While the documents reviewed raise serious questions about the management of public funds, this newspaper makes no finding that any criminal offence has been committed. The allegations remain unproven unless established through a competent court. However, the records examined and the responses obtained underscore the need for relevant oversight and anti-corruption agencies to scrutinise the transactions and determine whether due process was followed in the expenditure of public funds.
The investigation is continuing, and further reports will be published as additional documents and official responses become available, while more revelations are still coming out with respect to the issuance of multiple appointment letters to individual as well as sidelining of critical stakeholders and community in the top management decisions among many other issues.