Jibrin Momoh: A tale of industry, competence, experience and compassion

Okene is popular to be home to many renowned Nigerians. One of the many illustrious sons of the city of rocks and steel is Jibrin Momoh, a trained chattered accountant with in-depth wealth of experience in the field of accounting and financial management.

Jibrin Momoh was born on 1st of September 1972 to Mallam Momoh Akata and Mrs. Hajarat Momoh in Obehira Community, Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State. He is the second of the three children his parents were blessed with.

The young Jibrin started his education at age of four when he was enrolled in 1976 at Seifu-Deen Primary School, Okengwe, and went ahead to obtain his First School Leaving Certificate in 1981. He was then enlisted at the Okengwe Community Secondary School in 1981 where he obtained his West African Examination Certificate (WAEC) and his General Certificate of Education (GCE) in 1986. Even at a young age, Jubrin was described as serious and studious, always preferring the cool feeling of the pages of his books to the cacophony of the dancehalls. This made him standout from his peers.

The challenges of securing an admission into schools of higher learning in years past, Jibrin Momoh would have to wait for seven years before securing his slot. In that time, he took on menial jobs, which led him to working with the Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited between 1987 and 1990. To fast tract his admission process, he resolved to enroll in the School of General & Remedial Studies between 1991-1992 at the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria. The school is prided to be one of the best universities in the country, and unarguably an institution to compete with on the entire continent due to the school’s antecedents in research and the quality of graduates. In 1993, young Jibrin, who had now grown into a handsome and spirited “Ebira man”, merited the ace university’s admission list and was offered Accounting as his course of study. That marked the beginning of an era.

His close friend, Y. Y. Okala, narrated his encounter with Jibrin during their undergraduate days at ABU, Zaria. He described him as compassionate, humble, calm, and friendly. He went ahead to reveal that Jibrin has affected his life in numerous ways and till date stands as one of his benefactors. And for him, having Jibrin in one’s circle is always a plus because he is a “friend for all seasons”. As part of their bounding forces as friend of over three decades, Okala pinpointed that they both believe in selfless services and understands that people rise by lifting others.

Okala was not the only buddy of Jibrin during his undergraduate days as he rubbed shoulders and built lasting bond with men and women who are now influential members of the society. A few are His Excellency, Alhaji Yahaya Adoza Bello, the Executive Governor of Kogi State; and Zubir Usman.

Jibirn graduated in 2000 with distinction, and bagging a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Accounting. After which he proceeded to serve his country in the mandatory National Youth Service Corps in Abuja between 2000-2001. Fate smiled on Jibrin when he secured employment with the Nigerian Ports Authority in 2001 as Accountant ll, then promoted to the ranks of; Accountant l, Chief Accountant and subsequently Manager Accountant, for a period of 15 years before his appointment as the Accountant General of Kogi State in 2016 by Governor Yahaya Bello, a position he occupied for over seven years before his resignation in fulfillment of Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2022 as amended, in order for him to vie for Kogi’s governorship seat.

Jibrin Momoh, was one of the cardinal pillars, a loyal and dependable officer in the administration of His Excellency, Alhaji (Dr.) Yahaya Adoza Bello. Despite his position and high status as the Accountant General, he remained humble, dedicated, and committed to the success of his friend and boss.

He assumed office as the Accountant General of the State at a time when the clamour for professionalism and transparency in the conduct of government business was high on the agenda of various international organisations such as the World Bank, IMF etc., in addition to domestic pressures for more accountability from civil society groups and State Houses of Assembly.

As the Chief Accounting Officer for the receipt and payments of the Government of Kogi State, he has maintained proper accounting records of income and expenditure of the State. In conjunction with the Ministry of Finance, Budget and Economic Planning has ensured the preparation and implementation of Kogi State revenues and expenditure budgets within the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework as prescribed by the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and in line with Kogi State Strategic Plan.

Under his supervision, Jibrin has ensured the timely preparation and publication of State Annual Financial Statements in line with the relevant provision of the law, this was hitherto unachievable.

For his accounting ingenuity, he introduced several statewide accounting reforms in collaboration with relevant agencies of both national and international, for the State to achieve the following thematic areas:

a. Full automation of payroll system and elimination of ghost workers through biometric data capturing.

b. Full migration of the State to International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS) Accrual basis of accounting and the preparation of General-Purpose Financial Statements (GPFS) accrual basis in line with best practices.

c. Completion of State Integrated Financial Management Information System (SIFMIS) ready to Go-Live.

d. Creation of the Directorate of Finance and Accounts in all MDAs of the State in line with Public Sector Governance Reforms.

e. In line with recommendations of Public Sector Governance Reforms, the Accountant General’s office was restructured by creating more departments and strengthened for effective performance.

f. Adoptions of the Treasury Single Account system as an essential tool for consolidating and managing government cash resources by bringing all government funds in various bank accounts within the effective control of the government to minimize borrowing costs, block financial leakages within the government financial system and enthrone centralized, transparent, and accountable revenue management.

g. Regular Capacity Building – with the meagre resources at his disposal, he has sponsored staff to various training, conferences, and Mandatory Continuing Professional Development.

h. Commendations by Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation for full adoption of IPSAS Accrual Basis of Accounting and preparation of General-Purpose Financial Statements (GPFS) on an Accrual basis.

i. Commendation by the World Bank in 2022 for preparing the GPFS on an accrual basis in line with World Best Practices.

In furtherance to the above, the Federal Government collaborated with World Bank to inaugurate the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS), Performance for Results (PforR), a four-year program to support the Nigerian State to strengthen fiscal performance and sustainability of annual financial reports, financial processes integration, compliance with International Public Sector Accounting Standard (IPSAS)etc.

For these excellent performances, the finances of the State that Kogi State has consistently been on top in the SIFTAS Annual Assessment, accompanied by financial awards among the 36 States of the Federation.

It was on record that on the assumption of this administration in January 2016, Civil servants in the State were, owed three (3) months’ salaries, but with effective management of the state resources under the supervision of Alhaji Jibrin Momoh, outstanding salary and pension were paid before the end of 2016.

Jibrin Momoh has distinguished himself in the conduct of his duties. He humbly and willingly declined membership of the Joint Allocation Account Committee (JAAC) to comply with the autonomy of Local Government which his principal Alhaji Yahaya Bello also stands for.

Jibrin Momoh had the responsibility of managing the finance of the State. He did so well and always ensure the continuous payment of 100% of Salaries and pension to both civil servant and pensioners in the State with the full implementation of the New Minimum Wage as approved by the Executive Governor of the State. He recently facilitated the implementation and cash-backed approval for payments of arrears of promotions from 2013 to 2018 to Civil Servants in the State Civil Service.

A Professional per excellence, Jibrin Momoh’s adroit financial acumen enabled him to navigate the challenges of funds and produce financial stability, debt management, and financial forecasts. Thus, it has helped the state to achieve lofty heights in project execution of massive nature, unprecedented in the annals of Kogi State, under the guidance of Governor Yahaya Adoza Bello.

A public servant cum politician, Jibrin Momoh, the Amene Ata Igala, has displayed uncommon humility, integrity, commitment, and intellectual sagacity in the discharging of his duty to the delight and admiration of generality of Kogites, cutting across all divides of religion, tribe and class.

In the political arena, Jibrin Momoh is a symbol of unity, a pragmatic leader and a silent achiever who has created a niche for himself through selfless services, peaceful disposition and his ability to unite the people in the development of human capital.

Jibrin Momoh is a proud member and fellow of the following professional bodies; Association of National Accountant of Nigeria (ANAN), Nigeria Institute of Management (NIM), Association of Cost Managers of Nigeria (ACMN), and Chartered Institute of Financial and Investment Analysis of Nigeria (CIFIAN). He is married to two wives; Hajia Hanatu Jibrin and Hajia Zainab Jibrin. His family blessed with kids.

To many Jibrin Momoh is just a man. To a few, he is a brilliant accountant. And to a lot of individuals, he is a destiny helper.

To his friends, he remains the calm and friendly Jibrin. Soon, he will be the Executive Governor of the most progressive state in Nigeria.

In Jibrin Momoh, Kogi State has a New Voice, a New vision, a new Leadership, and a New brand of Leadership, Experience, Proven Integrity, Character, Values, Honesty, Quality performance, Genuine cares and Electable Excellence.

Allow Jbest, happen to Kogi State.