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FILE PHOTO: Members of the Home of Representatives throughout plenary
The Home of Representatives, on Wednesday, issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Accountant Common of the Federation, Mrs Oluwatoyin Madein, to submit an in depth report on using the N100bn COVID-19 intervention funds accredited and launched by the federal government of former President Muhammadu Buhari to ministries, departments and companies between 2020 and 2022.
The Chairman, Home Committee on Public Accounts, Bamidele Salam, who issued the discover in Abuja expressed dismay on the AGF’s refusal to adjust to the decision of the committee to submit the report on October 27, 2023.
He famous that the Home had mandated the committee to analyze the “expenditure incurred below the COVID-19 interventions particularly within the 12 months 2020 and as much as 2022.”
Salam stated, “A letter was written to the Accountant Common to furnish the committee with particulars of all releases pursuant to the provisions of the Appropriation Act in addition to different interventions captured by the releases from Central Financial institution of Nigeria to totally different Ministries, Departments and Companies of presidency.
“That letter, I used to be duly knowledgeable, confirmed that submission is anticipated on or earlier than October 27, 2023.
“As we converse, that enter has not been obtained from the Workplace of the Accountant Common of the Federation.
“That could be a essential doc that may information our proceedings on the investigation the home mandated us to hold out inside a timeframe.
“So, we’re sending you (Deputy Director within the Workplace of the AGF) now to return dwelling and let the Accountant Common know that she has defaulted on the request of the committee. We stated on or earlier than the twenty seventh that if there have been any goal the explanation why she couldn’t meet up with that date, she ought to talk to this committee to ask for the extension of time.”
Consequently, he directed the AGF to transmit the report earlier than the shut of labor on Friday, November 3, 2023.
The Home decision was handed following the adoption of a movement on the ‘Alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds from 2020 to 2022’, accredited by the Federal Authorities for numerous Ministries, Departments and Companies between 2020 and 2022.
Main the controversy on the movement, Nyampa Zakari, who underscored the function of the lawmakers in unmasking corruption in using public funds, lamented that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted within the lack of lives, jobs and financial alternatives for thousands and thousands of world’s residents together with Nigerians.
“The Home is aware that the Federal Authorities of Nigeria initiated a number of measures, together with budgetary provisions in addition to funding from worldwide donor companies to fight the COVID-19 pandemic on the residents.
“The Home can be conscious {that a} sum of N83.9bn was appropriated for the COVID-19 response within the 2020 Appropriation Act in addition to one other sum of over N100bn as intervention funds via supplementary funds and worldwide donor companies.
“The Home is disturbed that the Auditor-Common’s report and different sources reveal that important funds for COVID-19 palliatives and worldwide donations have been diverted and unaccounted for by numerous Ministries, Departments and Companies of presidency.
“The Home is worried that the shortage of correct accountability of funds allotted for COVID-19 intervention by the Federal Authorities and world donor companies might doubtlessly result in unfavourable financial scores and lack of alternatives for Nigeria,” Zakari famous.
