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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives has indicted 31 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for audit infraction in the 2019/2020 Auditor General of the Federation report.
Consequently, it directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to recover
over N103.8 billion and $950,912.05 from the affected MDAs and remit to the government treasury.
According to the report of the House Public Accounts Committee, the the panel uncovered internal control weaknesses and non-compliance within government entities.
The indicted MDAs include Ministry of Foreign Affairs was for alleged unauthorized spending on a presidential lodge project at the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia.
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The parliament demanded that over N124 million and nearly $795,000 be refunded to the federal treasury, while N31.7 million and $155,923.00, were also flagged as illegally expended without appropriation.
The Ministry was directed to recover N49.4 million paid for renovation in disregard to procurement procedures and N9.2 million allegedly disbursed to embassy officials without proper documentation.
The Bank of Agriculture (BoA) was queried over alleged uncollected debts amounting to N75.6 billion and directed to publish the list of debtors in at least three national newspapers and called on anti-corruption agencies to recover the outstanding funds.
Key recommendations of the committee, in the 2020 audit report, which was made available to journalists last night, included that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources (N12.3 million) for unauthorised cash advances above the N200,000 limit amongst others.
The Cross River Basin Development Authority is expected to refund N3.5 billion for failing to present 731 payment vouchers from 2019, while FIRS was directed to recover N41.4 million in unremitted stamp duty for a 2019 contract.
The Department of ICT, Nigeria Police Force Headquarters was directed to refund N1.1 billion spent on ICT without NITDA approval while Ministry of Labour and Employment refund N351 million for unaccounted Geneva Labour Desk funds and investigate numerous questionable payments and projects totaling over N1.5 billion.
