The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, (PAC), has commenced investigation in 115 ministries, departments and agencies over N600 billion extra-budgetary expenditures on salary and wages as contained in the audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation from 2018 till date.
Addressing the opening session of the investigative hearing, the Committee Chairman, Hon Busayo Oluwole Oke, frowned at the defence that some of the expenditures were incurred based on existing circulars and directives
According to the audit query, “203 MDAs exceeded their Personnel Cost budget by N641,757455,172.01 while 115 MDAs had Zero Personnel cost even though there was budget allocation for them.
The sources of extra funds for salaries and wages in 103 were not disclosed, also, the reasons for zero Personnel budget allocation for the 115 MDAs were not stated despite the fact that the MDAs under defence had annual budgets approved for them”
It advised that the office of the Accountant General of the Federation should investigate the sources of the extra budgetary expenditures and reasons for non-compliance with laid down financial regulations
It also recommended that for failure to justify sources and reasons for, “the expenditures totaling N641.75bn, the officers in charge should be held pecuniary responsible”.
According to the the Chairman, “this is an aberration of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, clear rape of Financial regulation and public procurement act, nobody has the power to appropriate any money to any MDAs except the National Assembly through the budget from Mr President”.
“But we have discovered a situation where some Ministers and heads of MDAs are found of appropriating funds and approving several millions of naira for spending without such coming to the parliament but reeling on circulars and directives, this is illegal.”
Consequently, the Chairman directed the Accountant General of the Federation to make available the list of 115 MDAs involved in the suspicious spending to the Committee by Wednesday morning when the investigation would continue.
Hon Oke said that in the spirit of fear hearing, the culprit MDAs would be summoned to come and explain their own side of case as claimed in the Audit Report.
Earlier, the Acting Accountant General of the Federation Mr Sylva Okolieaboh had expressed appreciation for the hands of cooperation being extended to his office by the parliament since he assumed office and pledged that all invitations from the parliament would receive prompt responses.
The hearing was attended by a team from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation, led by the Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Sylva Okolieaboh.
