Kwara orders common treasury account for tertiary institutions

KWARA State Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed has directed that all the nine states-owned tertiary institutions in the state to open common treasury account for fees and other payments in a pilot exercise that will eventually extend to all revenue-generating agencies in the state according to a statement by Dr. Muideen Akorede, Senior Special Assistant to the state Governor on Media Affairs.

Tertiary institutions were directed to close all other revenue accounts maintained in commercial banks across the state.

Meanwhile, authorities of the University of Ilorin have perfected plans to install Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at strategic posts on the campus.

A security expert in Ilorin, who is also the Mogaji Nda of Ilorin, Alhaji Woru Mohammed, however, said the University should not have made the issue “a public one.” Mohammed, a retired Police Officer said, “the plan of the authorities to get the campus secured is commendable. But the issue of security should not have been a public one to make it more effective.”

According to the Director of the Computer Services and Information Technology (COMSIT) Directorate of the University, Prof. Musa Isiaku Ahmed, during the send forth ceremony organised in honour of the former COMSIT Director, Prof. Abiodun Adimula and the development was necessary as a response to the global growing challenges on security of lives and property.

In another development, a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry, University of Ilorin, Professor Folahan Adekola has warned that dying of hair increases risk of cancer.

Adekola, who made this known to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Ilorin, said that hair dye formulations contained chemicals known as Yombo-fitta and Yombo-tumtum, which he said are freely sold in Nigerian markets for people to dye their grey hair and look younger.

Governor Ahmed, who gave the directive during a meeting with heads of tertiary institutions and banks operating in the state, said the directive is to enable the government get a clear picture of the institutions’ finances as a prelude to the debut of the newly established Kwara State Internal Revenue Service (KSIRS), which is the sole body responsible for revenue collection and management in the state.

But the development, may not have received the blessings of all the heads of the institutions as one of them under condition of anonymity told The Guardian in Ilorin that the system might engender unnecessary bureaucracy while assessing funds from the sole purse.

Ahmed said the new directive also bars the institutions from receiving fees and other revenues in cash or maintaining any other bank accounts other than those approved by the state Accountant-General.

According to the governor, the move was designed to ensure efficiency in revenue collection and disbursement. The Governor assured that the institutions will continue to receive budgeted funds from the state government as due and stressed that the government’s only desire was to ensure efficiency in revenue generation and management.