Audit queries from Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, has indicted management of the National Assembly, as well as the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) over questionable expenditure of N9.424 billion in the 2019.
Of the amount involved, about N5.521 billion was linked to the House of Representatives in five different audit queries, N3.595 billion to the Senate in seven audit queries, while N307.676 million was linked to the National Assembly Service Commission in two audit queries.
The indicting queries were contained in the annual report on non-compliance and internal control weaknesses issues in Ministries, departments and agencies of the federal government of Nigeria for the year ended 31st December 2019, with reference; AuGF/AR.2019/02, and addressed to Clerk of the National Assembly, dated 15th September 2021.
The said document signed by Auditor General of the Federation, Adolphus Aghughu said that the sum of N2.550 billion was was granted to members of the House of Representatives as running costs between July and December 2019 without evidence to show what the funds were applied, and neither were same properly retired.
It further stated that the sum of N258 million was given to 59 staff of the House of Representatives, while another N107.912 million was given to two staff for repairs and maintenance of unnamed residential quarters, and in the process, averting the statutory VAT and WHT payment, amounting to about N10.79 million accruable, if due procurement processes were followed.
The report also disclosed that the sum of N1,594,807,097.83 was paid to revenue authorities between February and December 2019 as PAYE (6 members), Car Ioan (5 members) and Housing loan (6 members) without acknowledgment receipts from the relevant revenue authorities.
This was as it queried the payment of N1,010,598,610.97 from the salary account of the House without payment vouchers as required by law, while asking the Clerk to the National Assembly to provide explanation for the irregularities and ensured that the amount involved is returned to government treasury.
The report indicted the National Assembly Service Commission for failure to retire about N31.927 million cash advance granted to 59 staff of the commission as well as failure to remit one percent stamp duty amounting to N276,749,014.68.
It said further that about N219.645 million deducted as housing loan from some Senators were not remitted. “The sum of 219,645,567.08 was deducted from one hundred and seven (107) Senators’ salary arrears between July and December 2019 as housing loans, and there was no evidence to show that the above amount was remitted to the Treasury”, it stated.
Following the damning report, The House Committee on Public Account has summoned Clerk to the Nation Assembly, Arch. Amos Ojo to appear before it to respond to the queries, with no specific date yet in view.
