Stock Verification

Mr.  Okeke Chiedozie Cresent who is a native of Agwu Local Government Area in Enugu State was born in Ogbakwu in Agwu Local Government Area on the 2nd of June, 1956. His early education was at the Central Primary School, Ogbakwu and St. Vincent Secondary School, Agbogugu, Enugu State between 1966 to 1979. Mr. Okeke C.C holds a Bachelor of Science Degree (B.Sc Econs.) from the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, obtained in 1997. He was employed into the Federal Civil Service on 2nd of October, 1980 as a Stock Examiner. He was later promoted to the rank of Senior Stock Examiner in 1983 and the rank of Assistant Stock Verifier in the 1988. In 1991, Mr. Okeke became a Stock Verifier and was later promoted to the rank of Higher Stock Verifier in 1994. Mr. Okeke served as Senior Stock Verifier in 1999 and in 2002, he was promoted to the rank of Principal Stock Verifier II, and Principal Stock Verifier I in 2005. Mr. Okeke who is presently an Assistant Chief Stock Verifier is the Head of the Stock Verification Unit of the Ministry. He has been administering the unit since 2010. He has attended several workshops among which is the 7th National Workshop on Effective Service Delivery for Public Servants organized by ASCOM Lagos in 2012 and the Mandatory Capacity Building Management Training organized by the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation in 2012. He was the Chairman, Committee on Poverty Alleviation Programme of the Federal Government in the Ahiazu Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State from 2000 – 2001 under the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing. Mr. Okeke likes football as a hobby.  He is married with children.  

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.

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.

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

• 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.

• 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.

Functions

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).
16. Identify, Segregate and Collate designated condemned store to a dump
17. Initiate actions for  written off condemned stores through disposal by board f survey exercise inline with Government Regulation
18. Take care and custody of unservisable items in the depot untill all boarded and dispose off.

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.