Permanent Secretary risks arrest over unaccounted N4.3bn vouchers – Senate Committee

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has threatened to issue an arrest warrant on the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Gabriel Aduda for failing to appear before it to explain the alleged N4.3 billion hidden vouchers by the ministry.

The committee had summoned Mr Aduda as the chief accounting officer of the ministry following the 2017 report of the Auditor General for the Federation, which revealed that a total of 289 vouchers under capital expenditure and 453 vouchers under overhead expenditure in the sum of N3.05 billion and N1.3 billion respectively were not produced for audit when requested. 

The Permanent Secretary, who was scheduled to appear last Tuesday before the committee to respond to the issues raised by the Auditor General, however, failed to honour the panel’s invitation.

Mr Aduda however, had in a letter submitted to the committee dated March 15, explained that the ministry was still trying to compile the vouchers for the lawmakers to verify.

The Chairman of the committee, Senator Matthew Uhroghide however, said the issues raised against the ministry were grievous and gave the permanent secretary 48 hours to appear before the committee or else the query issued by the Auditor General over the allegation will be sustained. 

Senator Urhoghide noted that the ministry is notorious considering the number of queries against it before the committee, adding that it is the only ministry that is not ready to account for its appropriated funds. 

“We have found out that a lot of agencies have taken us for granted, and am highly saddened that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after receiving our invitation in the month of February now submitted letter to us after six weeks that they will not be able to appear. 

“It only means that the ministry does not want to be accountable, we will sustain the query or issue a warrant of arrest against the Permanent Secretary if they are notorious, they have no business to get budget approval, the issues concerning them are grievous,” Uhroghide added.

PIAK