World Bank Loan: Reps summon signatories to Auditor General Office

Lawan Hamidu, Abuja

The House of Representatives has ordered the appearance of signatories to the account of the Auditor General Office to ascertain the utilization of the sum of 125 million dollars borrowed from the World Bank.

The House Committee on Public Accounts had summoned the Director General, Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze to explain the loans and grant amounting to 125 million dollars it collected from the World Bank, an amount that was allegedly not captured in the 2018 Budget.

Chairman of the Committee, Mr. Oluwole Oke who gave the order in Abuja also directed the appearance of all collaborating Ministries Departments and Agencies to the Committee next week.

The Committee had questioned the Director, Budget Office of the Federation, Ben Akabueze who appeared before it to explain whether the office has access to the 36.1 million dollars through loans and grants in four year.

He said “The document presented before the committee shows the list of beneficiaries of the loan of which OAUGF is among.

The 125 million dollars loan is the total sum of loans received from the World Bank.”

Also questioned was whether the loans and grants were meant for paying salaries or capacity building but Mr. Akabueze further explained that the sum of 36.1 million dollars is the loan component while the 1.2 million dollars is for grant.

He said the loan can also be spent on capital projects.

Mr. Akabueze while insisting that the World Bank loans and grants is captured in the 2018 appropriations Act said the Accountant General of the Federation is also aware of the loan.

According to him, 200,000 dollars was already been disbursed out of the amount to the Office of the Auditor General of Federation

Nnenna.O