The House of Representatives has indicted 31 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for alleged financial irregularities and breach of the nation’s financial regulations.
Consequently, the House asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), and other relevant bodies to recover over N103.8 billion and $950,912.05 from the MDAs and remit the same to government coffers.
The directives followed the adoption of the House Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommendations during yesterday’s plenary.
A member of the committee, Bamidele Salam, who moved the motion recommendations, said there were “massive internal control failures, unauthorised expenditures, and procurement violations” found in many MDAs.
The infractions contained in the Auditor-General’s Annual Reports for the years ending December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020, were reviewed by the committee.
Some of the major MDAs that various sums are to be recovered from are the Foreign Affairs and Petroleum Resources ministries, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc(NSPML), Bank of Agriculture(BOA), the Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NCSL) and the Cross River Basin Development Authority.
The Police Service Commission (PSC) was recommended for sanction for exceeding approved mobilisation limits, totalling N110.8 million without required guarantees.
To be recovered from the Foreign Affairs Ministry are N124 million and $795,000 it spent without =authorisation on a presidential lodge at the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia. To be recovered also from the ministry are N31.7 million and $155,923.00 the ministry disbursed without supporting documents.
The Petroleum Resources Ministry is to refund N373.4 million unapproved virements, N66.7 million used without prepayment audit and N12.3 million cash advances. It is also to retrieve a Toyota Prado (Registration Number: A1803FG) from one of its transport officers within 21 days.
