AFASIEC Budget Report Sparks Tension as AFAS FLC Questions Fund Management

Oluseun FATOPE

A heated debate has erupted on the floor of the AFAS Faculty Legislative Council over the management of funds allocated to the AFAS Independent Electoral Committee (AFASIEC).

AFASIEC Chairman, Oziegbe Kehinde, raised concerns over a budget cut that left the committee struggling with insufficient funds. According to him, an initial ₦80,000 budget was submitted for approval, but in his absence, it was slashed to ₦57,000 – a sum he described as inadequate to cover necessary expenses.

Kehinde also requested that the association return a balance of ₦18,000 to AFASIEC, which includes the following expenses: ₦5,000 for Ballot Paper, ₦10,000 for Graphics, and ₦3,000 for Public Address System (PAS).

In response, the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Miqdad, asked if the budget for the public address system was not approved. The chairman confirmed that it was approved but that the fund wes diverted to another purpose because he received two free PASs from the AFAS Secretariat and the RES Department; even though these PA systems proved useless during the electoral process.

Hon. Olufemi, from the Linguistic and African Languages Constituency, stated that the expected balance of ₦5,000 for ballot papers and ₦3,000 initially approved for PAS, though diverted by AFASIEC, should not be considered by the house, as the expenditures fell within the framework of the approved FLC budget.

Consequently, the Speaker expressed disappointment over the committee’s handling of the budget. While acknowledging that there was no evidence of personal misuse of funds, he criticised the committee’s approach, stating that their lack of experience in budget writing and financial reporting led to mismanagement.

“The AFASIEC must ensure that financial matters are handled appropriately,” Miqdad remarked, stressing the importance of transparency and proper documentation.

When AFASIEC representatives were called back to the floor, it was confirmed that the money raised from the sales of electoral forms, #46,000, has not been remitted into the association’s account, which as of today, makes it three weeks after the conclusion of the association’s executive council election.

In an AFAS Press interview with Adediran Faith, the General Secretary of AFASIEC, he revealed that the money is still inaccessible in his Access Bank student account with a limit of #30,000, contributing to the delay in the remittance of the fund.

The Speaker, however, instructs that the money be refunded into the association’s account within three working days and submit the receipt to the next parliament.