Units

MISSION

As Government watch Dog, to checkmate purchases/ services rendered with government funds for proper accountability and taking cognizance of the security procedures in place to safeguard government property.

VISION
To be an efficient and effective arm of service delivery culminating in timely payment for goods and services delivered to the Ministry.  Ensuring adequate and complete keeping of appropriate store accounting records for all procurements and rendering relevant reports to management for decision making.

OBJECTIVES

The unit is responsible to the Accounting officer of the Ministry who is the Permanent Secretary.  The thrust of its objectives is to ensure that mishandling, wastage, discrepancies, deterioration, dormancy and excess to requirement of government stores are guarded against.

FUNCTIONS/ACTIVITIES
Our job can be divided into two parts.
(1) Pre-payment Verification
 This involves the inspection of stores procured by the Ministry at the point of delivery by the suppliers/contractors to ensure that goods and services conform with specification, quantity and  quality
(2) Post-payment Verification
This function is carried out in accordance with the provision of FR.35 which stipulates that Govt.stores be regularly inspected and reported upon by Stock Verifier at least once a year.

From the above we could conclude that the stock verifier functions basically as material auditors.And by virtue of the fact that more than 90% of Government expenditure is on procurement of goods and services the role of the stock verifier cannot be overemphasized.

In summary our functions can be itemized as follows:
(1)  A continous inspection of all government stores (Allocated and Unallocated), plant, Vehicles, Vessels, Equipment, Tools both at the Headquarters, Liaison offices in Lagos and the states.
(2)  Taking and updating of inventory records of furniture, equipment in government offices, workshops, and listing same on form 15 (Furniture Inventory Board).
(3)   Ensure that all stores accounting records are well maintained and updated always.
(4)  Ensure that all stores receipts are properly accounted for, their issues authorized and used for purposes required.
(5)  Ensure that controls are adequate to prevent the loss of government property, by theft, fire hazard etc.
(6) To prevent abuses of stores due to mishandling, wastage, deterioration, and dormancy, excess to requirements.
(7)  Carrying out pre-supply verification of stores supplied, works and services.
(8)  Ensure that only the right qualities of good are supplied.
(9)  Ensure that the right quantities of good are supplied.
(10)Ensure that good/materials supplied conform to specifications in the instrument of award of  contract.
(11) Timely Payment should be made for items supplied of services rendered.
(12) Stores delivered are duly recorded in the store ledgers, tally cards and stores receipt vouchers, and accounted for.
(13) Rendering of stock verification report on every store checked to the Accounting Officer, highlighting the compliance with or violation of rules, cases of discrepancies, unserviceability, nature of handling storage security arrangement in force.
(14) Recommend sanctions when deficiencies or abuses are detected in the stores systems.
(15) the Unit provides personnel and also valuable inputs into assemblage, documentation of the  unserviceable, obsolete items. (MINISTERIAL BOARD OF SURVEY).

However, the stock verifier in charge will be directly responsible to the Account Officer for comprehensive verification of all stocks and purchases of the Ministry rendering stock verification on stores checked (FR 2020 refers.)

The above stock verification duties are entrenched in Chapter 35 of the Financial Regulations which is being operated in conjunction with Chapter 23-34 of the Financial Regulations and other enabling authorities i.e. National Council of Establishment, Establishment letters, circulars, approved Federal Republic Schemes of Service used in the Civil Service of the Federation to enhance
 efficiency in the management of stores administration.

ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Making relevant representation to the management  via periodic/annual reports on the stock   requirement of the various Federal Information Centres throughout the Federation.

2. Safeguarding government items such as furniture and equipment by way of periodic office inventory      taking.

 3. Introduction of cost saving mechanisms into government Procurement policies through pre payment checking.