Metal Ministry Refutes Claims of Finances Mismanagement

The Ministry of Metal Improvement’s Everlasting Secretary, Dr. Chris Isokpunwa, has vehemently denied allegations of price range irregularities within the ministry’s 2024 price range implementation.

In an announcement on Friday, Isokpunwa addressed the claims of “ghost tasks” and procurement irregularities, clarifying that the ministry has not had ample funds to successfully perform its deliberate tasks for the 12 months.

He expressed confusion over the supply of the allegations and reiterated that the Ministry of Metal Improvement has absolutely adhered to the established civil service guidelines that govern price range execution.

“As a Federal Authorities ministry, we work by laid down guidelines and ideas that information our conduct and performance, so no employees of my ministry can work opposite to the event objectives and aims of the general public service,” the everlasting secretary said.

Isokpunwa additional emphasised that the ministry has adopted the Federal Authorities’s technique implementation plan, which ensures strict compliance with budgetary expenditure protocols.

He underscored the ministry’s dedication to transparency and integrity in all its operations.

The assertion comes after the Nationwide Meeting’s Joint Committee on Metal Improvement raised considerations throughout its evaluate of the 2024 price range implementation.

The committee highlighted a number of alleged breaches of procurement legal guidelines and questioned the legitimacy of sure tasks beneath the ministry’s watch.

Co-chairman of the committee, Zainab Gimba, known as for a forensic audit of the ministry’s 2024 accounts, citing what she described as “ghost tasks” that may have siphoned public funds. Throughout the ministry’s 2025 price range protection session in Abuja, Gimba identified varied discrepancies within the ministry’s 2024 price range submissions.

“A primary-hand appraisal of the 2024 submissions exhibits some price range infractions as funds allotted for unspecified ‘capacity-building programmes’ and ‘expertise coaching initiatives’ within the metal sector present no proof of execution or influence,” Gimba mentioned.

“These tasks danger being categorized as ghost tasks designed to divert public funds. Administrative and recurrent prices considerably elevated in 2024 with out proportional will increase within the ministry’s actions or outputs, a potential indicator of mismanagement or misallocation of funds,” she added.

She additional famous authorized violations beneath the Fiscal Duty Act, which mandates the environment friendly use of public assets and accountability for challenge outcomes.

“A number of tasks, particularly associated to Ajaokuta Metal, failed to satisfy these standards,” Gimba mentioned.

Moreover, Gimba outlined additional violations of the Public Procurement Act, together with situations of non-competitive bidding and inflated contract prices, suggesting breaches of procurement tips.

“There are ghost tasks that are a direct violation of Nigeria’s Monetary Rules, which require all expenditures to be backed by documentation and outcomes,” Gimba added.

In response, Isokpunwa strongly refuted these allegations, stressing that the Ministry of Metal Improvement stays dedicated to fulfilling its statutory duties with integrity, and has complied with all relevant legal guidelines and tips within the implementation of its price range for 2024.