Senate Gives Perm Sec 48 Hours To Explain Disbursement Of N113m

Senate has given 48 hours ultimatum to the permanent secretary of the ministry of Finance to provide sensitive documents related to disbursement of Service Wide Votes (SWV) and missing N113 million on salary adjustment for Joint Admission Board Matriculation (JAMB) or risk warrant of arrest by next week.

The Senate, through its public accounts committee headed by Senator Mathew Urhoghide had written a letter of appearance to the ministry on October 20, 2022 and the letter was received on October 21, 2022 by the ministry to also give details of release to all MDAs including Police and Armed Forces.

Also, another letter was written to the ministry on December 8, 2022, on the issue concerning missing N113 million of salary augmentation for Joint Admission Matriculation Board.

While the record from the office of Accountant General of the Federation, (AGF) revealed that the N113 million was released to JAMB in May 2017 for salary augmentation.

In the invitation letter written to the ministry of Finance, the ministry was invited to make clarification on the matter at stake at the committee’s room on Tuesday which the ministry officials failed to honour.

The representative of JAMB, director of Finance and Account, Mohammed Bello claimed that the N113 million was not released to them arguing that if the money was released it will cut across the whole year.

According to the director of Finance, it will cut across all MDAs using CONLESS, if there is a shortfall in May, it will spread to the whole year.

Irked by the absence of the permanent secretary of the ministry of finance,  Senator Urhoghide gave him 48 hours to appear and provide the relevant documents to the committee or face a warrant of arrest by next week.

According to him, they have to appear before the committee by Thursday this week since JAMB has denied knowledge of that release.

Urhoghide added that failure of the ministry permanent secretary to appear on Thursday will lead to a warrant of arrest by next week.