Reps order recovery of N103.8b, $950,912 from 31 MDAs 

The House of Representatives has indicted 31 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for alleged financial irregularities and breach of the nation’s financial regulations.  

Consequently, the House asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC), and other relevant bodies to recover over N103.8 billion and $950,912.05 from the MDAs and remit the same to government coffers.

The directives followed the adoption of the House Public Accounts Committee (PAC) recommendations during yesterday’s plenary

A member of the committee, Bamidele Salam, who moved the motion recommendations, said there were “massive internal control failures, unauthorised expenditures, and procurement violations” found in many MDAs.

The infractions contained in the Auditor-General’s Annual Reports for the years ending December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2020, were reviewed by the committee.

Some of the major MDAs that various sums are to be recovered from are the Foreign Affairs and Petroleum Resources ministries, Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc(NSPML), Bank of Agriculture(BOA), the Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NCSL) and the Cross River Basin Development Authority.

The Police Service Commission (PSC) was recommended for sanction for exceeding approved mobilisation limits, totalling N110.8 million without required guarantees.

To be recovered from the Foreign Affairs Ministry are N124 million and $795,000 it spent without  =authorisation on a presidential lodge at the Nigerian Embassy in Ethiopia. To be recovered also from the ministry are N31.7 million and $155,923.00  the ministry disbursed without supporting documents.

The Petroleum Resources Ministry is to refund N373.4 million unapproved virements, N66.7 million used without prepayment audit and N12.3 million cash advances. It is also to retrieve a Toyota Prado (Registration Number: A1803FG) from one of its transport officers within 21 days.

BOA was asked to refund about N75.6 billion, representing its uncollected debts during the period of the review by the Accountant General’s office.  The bank was mandated to publish the debtors’ names in three national newspapers.

Also to be recovered from the bank and reported within 90 days is N350 million.

The NSPML was accused of disbursing N14.4 billion in unapproved salaries and allowances. It was ordered to recover the sum from the beneficiaries.

It is also to refund  N91.5 million it spent on ICT procurements without clearance from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The Nigerian Customs Service (NCS)   was directed by the House to recover about  N7.47 million in unpaid withholding taxes. Besides, the  House wants the service to work closely with the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to produce a detailed list of all items credited to both the Federation and Non-Federation Accounts to ensure transparent accounting.

Apart from the N1.3 billion to be recovered from the Rural Electrification Agency, a former Managing Director of the agency is to refund ₦394 million expended on electrification projects not approved by the tenders board

About ₦969 million transferred to an Eurobond ledger by the agency’s management, and ₦4.2 million it spent on publicity without approval are also to be recovered. 

NCSL is to refund over ₦1 billion in total, including ₦95 million in unremitted taxes it collected between 2012 and 2018.

In addition, its former Managing Director is to return ₦250 million misappropriated by contractors and staff members, as well as ₦700 million that the firm paid in advance for procurements. 

The Cross River Basin Development Authority(CRDA) is to refund ₦3.5 billion for failing to present 731 payment vouchers from 2019. The Federal Inland Revenue Service(FIRS) was mandated to recover ₦41.4 million unremitted stamp duty from the authority for a 2019 contract, while the EFCC is to investigate ₦278.8 million in contingencies hidden in contracts from 2014–2019.

The Nigerian Police Force was asked to verify claims that contract files were destroyed during the 2020 #EndSARS protests, while the EFCC was mandated to probe ₦169.1 million allegedly paid in compensation for the Bunyiaa-Akatom Imuan Dam project.

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) is to recover ₦27.1 million for unauthorised foreign travel payments to staff members, while the NRS is to recover ₦12.4 million in unremitted Value Added Tax (VAT)   on contracts.