The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, on Tuesday summoned the Acting Accountant General of the Federation, Okolieaboh Sylva over the failure of his office to lay the 2020 Audit Reports of Ministries, Department and Agencies, MDAs of the Federal Government before the National Assembly in line with the constitution of the land.
The Chairman of the Committee, Busayo Oluwole Oke (PDP- Osun) handed down the order in Abuja at the resumed hearing of the Committee on queries raised against MDAs by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation
Hon Oke while frowning at the development, declared that this was affecting the work of the parliament at looking into the financial transactions of the MDAs which he said would no longer be tolerated.
According to him, “as the 9th Assembly is winding down, we need to redouble our efforts at looking into all the reports already laid before the House. Right now, we have completed work on those from the 2017 and our reports are already in the press after which we will lay the reports before the whole House for official consideration
“This is why we are inviting the Accountant General of the Federation to come before this Committee to tell us why he is yet to lay the 2020 audited reports of the MDAs before the parliament.
“We need to listen to him to know where the problem is coming from so that we can wade in to resolve whatever hindrance affecting the presentation.
“The Minister of Finance had openly stated that the nation’s expenditures surpassed its income and the ICPC also confirmed that the 2022 budget was padded by the Executive arm by several billions of Naira. Do we wind the country down? No! What we need to do is to redouble our efforts at revenue generations as well as check the books of the MDAs.”
The Committee Chairman consequently warned all the heads of the MDAs who have refused to appear before it over audit queries raised against them to retrace their steps and do the needful in their own interest as the Committee would have no option but either to effect the arrest of the defaulters or for the Committee to relocate its sitting to the premises of such MDAS.
“We must look for the needed money to finance the 2023 budget to cater for the needs of the entire populace.”
This came just as the Committee resolved to write the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Godwin Emefiele over the money belonging to the Federal Medical Centre, FMC, Abeokuta said to be hanging in the bank
This followed the submission of the Chief Medical Officer of the Centre, Prof Adewale Musa-Olomu but the nation’s apex bank had denied the institution’s access to the money over a year now and that all efforts to retrieve it had proved abortive
Hon Oke assured that the committee would assist the Centre to recover the money from the CBN to enhance its operations.