Since the House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts launched a probe into reported failure of several MDAs to render reports of their audited accounts to office of the Auditor General of the Federation as constitutionally required, there have been bizarre disclosures. JOSHUA EGBODO review some of the dramas.
Confusion within NIIA
When the management of Nigeria Institute of International Affairs (NIIA) alongside a former Director General of the agency, Prof Bola Akinterinwa, faced the Hon Wole Oke-led committee on Friday, it was apparent that there was deep rooted confusion within.
Akinterinwa, who accused the current management of NIIA of owing him his entitlements, amounting to about N4mn, in what was seemingly a case of a hunter getting hunted, was accused of making extra budgetary spending during his tenure, thereby leaving the institute in huge debt.
The revelations prompted the Public Accounts Committee into resolving to carry out a fresh investigation into allegations that the former DG incurred a lot of debts for the institute arising from his alleged reckless spending on personal travels and contracts award without recourse to budgetary allocations or availability of funds.
The director in charge of Research and Documentation of the institute, Abimbola Dada dropped the allegations while trying to justify reasons behind the failure of the agency to pay Akinterinwa the balance of his entitlements, and same were corroborated by the current DG, Prof Bukar Bukarambe, as well as the Director of Finance and Administration, Mrs Bridget Otoboh, who insisted that all documents were available to substantiate their claims.
No audit reports in 10 years
Prof Akinterinwa had earlier told the committee that there was a system of entrenched corrupt practices and manipulation by those heading the account section of the institute, and same was responsible for the failure to render audited accounts for almost 10 years. He particularly named one Agatha Udeh, a former Director, Finance and Administration, who he accused of “unbridled corruption, insincerity and insubordination”, aided by the former DG, Prof Osita and the then chairman, Governing Council, Sen Ike Nwachukwu.
According to the former DG, the institute lagged behind in submitting audited reports due to professional incompetence of Udeh to the extent that he had to write the Accountant General of the Federation, requesting for a professional accountant, to manage the account department. He added that the accountant sent to him was equally frustrated out of the place.
On his efforts at resolving the issues, Akinterinwa explained that he reported the challenges in writing, to the Governing Council, led by Sen Ike Nwachukwu but that the response was simply; “Noted”. He alleged that with the collusion of the Governing Council, so much corruption was perpetrated even under his watch as DG.
Did Akinterinwa failed as a leader?
In the opinion of Mrs Dada, Prof Akinterinwa, may be a brilliant individual, but was poor in leadership. She recalled that a petition written and signed by herself and Agatha Udeh, who is reported to be at large, as well as one other was the reason why he was asked to go after his first tenure expired in 2015.
“The reason why the institute did not pay the former DG (Akinterinwa) his outstanding claims was because he engaged in reckless spending mostly on personal travels and tours without recourse to government financial regulations, and as such could not be paid”, Dada, who said she is due to retire in less than two months said.
She also alleged that he (Akinterinwa) incurred a lot of debts which the institute is struggling to clear, including fees to contractors he engaged to do certain works, one of which was a conference centre which in her opinion, the Institute didn’t need, as well as without budgetary allocation.
Panel took stand
The chairman of the committee, Oke in presenting the panel’s position noted that the allegations were too weighty to be ignored. He subsequently directed Prof. Akinterinwa to submit his request for claims on the said four million naira owed him as entitlement, and the current DG (Prof. Bukarembu), t also submit his defence on why the Institute wouldn’t pay the claims.
On a final note, the committee ruled that a sub-committee of between three and five members would be raised to investigate the claims and counter claims, and make recommendations to guide the larger committee in reporting back to the House of Representatives.
It also resolved to write the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, to as a matter of necessity, separate the Finance department from that of administration, as the committee would offer its intervention if there is need for amendment to the law establishing NIIA, as according the chairman, there is no way a single individual would be in charge of funds as well as the power to recommend hiring, discipline and even firing without abusing such.
More MDAs under searchlight
Earlier, the committee reignited its searchlights on the Ogun/Osun River Basin Development Authority, ending up with a resolution summoning the Auditor General of the Federation, Mr Anthony Anyine, and President of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), over reported infractions in the audited financial accounts of the agency.
The committee gave the order when the management of the authority, led by its Managing Director, Engr Olufemi Odumosun, appeared before it at the resumed hearing. It was discovered by the panel that a 2015 audited report of the agency, rendered in 2017 was not stamped to authenticate its genuineness.
The issue turned rather dramatic when Odumosu appeared before the committee on a later date with another copy of the 2015 audited report signed and stamped in 2020 by the same office of the Auditor General of the Federation, saying that he went back to the office to perfect the process since there was clear evidence that the financial account for the period was actually submitted. The committee members apparently were irked, as they raised queries on why the OORDA boss went behind the doors to stamp a financial account submitted since 2017, in 2020, about four years after.
The chairman of the committee, Hon Oke therefore demanded that the OORBD boss produce a copy of the letter written to office of the Auditor General of the Federation requesting that the 2015 audited financial account earlier submitted in 2017 should be signed and stamped in 2020, to which non was available.
“This is shocking. How can you go out of your way to alter a document already before the parliament? This committee will not allow that, you cannot be cog in the wheel of this investigation, simple thing for you is to wait for the Auditor General of the Federation to check their records, you appeared before the committee on oath, now see what is happening”, Oke fumed over the development. Consequently, both the Auditor General of the Federation and the President of ANAN were summoned to shed more light on the development.
Also, CBN, NTDC others queried
In a related development, the committee summoned the J K Randle Audit firm over the late redition of the audited financial accounts of the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation (NTDC), to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation as required by law
The committee was to on a later summoned the Central Bank Governor, Godwin Emefiele and former Managing Directors of Nigeria Security Printing and Minting Plc, over allegations that the NSPM plc, has operated for 8 years, without a financial audit and a management board.
The current MD of the agency, Mr Abbas Masanawa, represented by the Director of Finance, Mr Augustine Omotoso, confirmed that there was no financial audit of the agency, since 2012. He also explained that a board was yet to be in place, since he assumed office. The Central Bank governor is statutorily, the chairman of the NSMPC board, so the committee felt he needed to explain.
More drama expected?
With over 300 government MDAs expected to be engaged by the panel in the ongoing investigation, it is, in the opinion of many followers of the developments that more bizarre and dramatic disclosures may be in the offing.
