N1.9trn probe: 100 MDAs ignoring invitation risk zero allocations for 2023 budget — Senate
As investigation into the breaches of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) gather cloud over cases of financial infractions, the Senate has given a one-week ultimatum to 100 MDAs of the Federal Government, to appear before it and explain how they spent the Service Wide Vote (SWV) allocations from 2017 to 2021.
Should any of the affected MDAs refuse to honour the invitation in the duration of one week, the Senate has threatened to withhold allocation from such for the 2023 budgetary year.
Recent cases of financial misappropriation and non remittance of funds have brought to fore revelations of various gaps, informing the two chambers of the National Assembly inviting MDAs suspected to be wanting in the cases concerned to appear for explanation.
Although some MDAs have appeared for questioning before relevant committees of both chambers of the National Assembly, some have ignored, while some in their appearances have offered unsatisfactory explanations.
In plenary on Wednesday, the Senate consequent upon the suspected infractions of the usage of Service Wide Vote (SWV) allocations from 2017 to 2021 to the tune of N1.9trn have found reason why no less than 100 MDAs must appear before its Committee on Public Accounts, for explanations.
Following a Point of Order raised by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo South) on the refusal of the MDAs to appear despite several correspondences to them, the President of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North), threatened the 100 Federal Government-owned MDAs with zero budget allocation in 2023 for not honouring invitations of its committee for explanations on the expenditure of Service Wide Vote from 2017 to 2021.
According to Chairman of Public Accounts Committee, Service Wide Vote is extra-budgetary spending made to fill shortfalls in capital and recurrent expenditures, which are not audited by the Auditor General of the Federation and not known to various standing committees of the National Assembly.
Urhoghide who hinged his complaints on provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), said that heads of the affected MDAs failed to honour several invitations sent to them to make required explanations on Service Wide Vote spendings from 2017 to 2021.
The Senate President maintained that it is not a choice for the Agencies, when they are called for explanation on how funds allocated to them are spent, to ignore invitations of the Senate before whom they appear for budget defence.
He added that any public officer who accepted to serve and spend any public funds appropriated must equally be liable to appear for answer, warning that any one who refuses to honour such invitations should quit.
“If the name of an agency is here, it should be invited and refusal to come, nothing should be given to the MDA in the 2023 budget,” he said.
The affected 100 agencies include the State House, Presidential Fleet, Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning; Nigeria Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation; Ministry of Interior; Budget Office of the Federation; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA); Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC); Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET); Ministry of Defence; Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria and Office of the Special Assistant to the President on Niger Delta Affairs.
Others are Ministry of Petroleum Resources; National Inland Water Ways (NIWA); Federal Ministry of Health; Presidential Amnesty Programme; Ministry of Agriculture and Development; Federal Civil Service Commission; Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Authority; National Health Insurance Scheme; Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy; Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND); Ministry of Sports and Youth Development; Civil Defence, Fire, Immigration and Correctional Service Board; Border Communities Development Agency; Ministry of Environment; National Hajj Commission of Nigeria; Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission.
Federal Ministry of Information and Culture; Nigeria Defence Academy; National Human Rights Commission; National Centre for Disease Control and National Security Adviser (NSA).
Also affected are Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development; National Examination Coucil (NECO); Nigeria Police Acadamy; Ministry of Special Duties; Presidential AIR Fleet; Ministry of Science and Technology; Ministry of Mine and Steel Development; National Environmental Standards Regulatory Agency (NESREA); Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON); North East Development Commission, among others.
