3 varsity workers stole N8.4bn, Kogi govt reveals

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 of staff of the institution were found to have been embezzling N100 million every month for the past seven years.

Speaking with newsmen after its weekly executive council meeting, 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 adding names of ghost workers in the school’s payroll.

Although, Fanwo 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 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 was expected to commence in September and last for one year.

Fanwo also disclosed that council had approved the reconstruction of the office of the state-owned newspaper, The Graphic.

He also said a committee had been set up to liaise with the state emergency management agency to do something about the floods that had affected some communities in the state.

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