Ref:FME/DFA/S.

10

The Chairman,

Independent Corrupt Practices And

Other Related Offences Commission,

Plot 802, Zone A9

Constitution Avenue,

Abuja.
REPORT OF FEDERAL MINISTRY OF EDUCATION ON JOINT REVIEW CARRIED OUT
ON THE MEAL SUBSIDY EXPENDITURE OF UNITY COLLEGES AND REQUEST TO
CANCEL THE DECISION TO ASK THE COLLEGES TO MAKE REFUNDS
I referred to our joint review of the expenditure and funding of the Federal Unity Colleges and
to convey the following clarifications with respect to the analysis of releases and the question
of refunds by the Colleges.
2. Please find below the details of our submission. Releases from January-May 2020, were
based on 2020, appropriation. Whereas from June the releases were based on the revised
budget which took into consideration the earlier releases from January-May with a view to
recover the amount released during the Covid-19 lockdown period. You may wish to note that
June allocation was released towards Schools resumption in August 2020.
3. The attached tables will show the effect of the review and it is a known fact also that as at
the time of putting this report together the Colleges are yet to be paid October-December,
2020 meal allocation. Whereas, the schools are in session and the students are being catered
for on daily bases.
4. Consequently, every of the Colleges is owing many vendors. Also, the Ministry has been
inundated with series of court cases from Vendors who have taken the Ministry of Education to
court and obtained judgments including impounding of unity school’s vehicles as a result of
irregular funding of the Colleges. Case in point are Federal Government Girls college, Keana and
Federal Government Academy, Suleja. Therefore, it is impossible to understand the bases of
any refund.
5. Furthermore, the expenditure for other overhead items such as payment for Fuel,
Electricity, Payment of Part-time Teachers were done out of necessity due to the fact that
schools cannot operate without providing for these basic needs. The Overhead allocation to the
Colleges is presently other than meal subsidy is grossly inadequate.
6. It is pertinent to note that the Ministry had made several efforts and plea to Federal
Ministry of Finance for the upward review of the Budgetary provision and releases for
Overhead allocation in the Unity Colleges which has not been acceded to as expected. The
intervention of the commission is sought in this pursuit to enable government consider the
urgent need to review Overhead allocation to Unity colleges.
7. It is vitally important to understand the peculiar problems encountered by the unity colleges
in accessing the meal subsidy allocation. Where a unity college is located in a remote area of
the country and banking inclusion is elusive. The only alternative opened to the college to
access meal subsidy from the GIFMIS platform is by paying the money into the account of the
officer that is registered on the GIFMIS platform, who will in turn pay the money to the food
Vendor that has no account. The fact that the money is paid into the officer’s account he will be
the end user of the money.
8. The resultant effect of this huge reduction in meal subsidy to Unity Colleges because of
Covid-19 lockdown will be disproportionate food debt profiles against all the Unity colleges.
Therefore, it will be risky to further demand for a refund in the light the prevailing
circumstance.