The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives has indicted 31 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government following revelations from office of the Auditor General of the Federation in its covering 2019 and 2020.
The Auditor-General’s Reports uncovered alleged financial irregularities amounting to over ₦103.8 billion and $950,912.05.
The committee has in that regard, asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to recover the alledged misappropriated funds and remit same to coffers of the government.
The position was arrived at, and announced on by Chairman of the committee, Hon. Bamidele Salam, based on the findings during its extensive review of the Auditor-General’s Annual Reports for the years ending December 31, 2019, and December 31, 2020, including findings related to internal control weaknesses and non-compliance within government entities.
“In line with the Standing Orders of the House, the adopted recommendations aim to ensure accountability by mandating the recovery of public funds and imposing sanctions where necessary,” Salam reiterated.
Among the institutions cited in the 2019 recommendations, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was faulted for unauthorized spending on a presidential lodge project at the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia.
The committee demanded that over ₦124 million and nearly $795,000 be refunded to the federal treasury, and additional sums, including ₦31.7 million and $155,923.00, were also flagged as illegally expended without appropriation.
The Ministry was instructed to recover ₦49.4 million paid for renovation without following procurement procedures, and ₦9.2 million disbursed to embassy officials without proper documentation, while the Bank of Agriculture came under intense scrutiny over uncollected debts amounting to ₦75.6 billion, as it further directed the management to publish the list of debtors in at least three national newspapers.
Others asked to make recoveries include the Nigeria Correctional Service (₦7.47 million in unpaid withholding taxes), the Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (eight official vehicles and ensure the return of four operational vehicles unlawfully retained by the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment) Kwali Area Council, Rural Electrification Agency, the Veterinary Council of Nigeria and many more.