Reps Probe MDAs Over N600bn Extra-budgetary Spending  

House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts commenced investigation 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.

The chairman of the committee, Wole Oke while addressing the opening session of the investigative hearing frowned at the defence that some of the expenditures were incurred based existing circulars and directives.

Oke said that in the spirit of fear hearing, the MDAs alleged to have committed the infractions would be summoned to explain their own side of case as claimed in the Audit Report.

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.

The query 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 down financial regulations.

It recommended that failure to justify sources and reasons for the expenditures, “the expenditures totalling N641.75 billion the officers in charge should be held pecuniary responsible.”

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 from his office in the national interest.