The Senate on Wednesday gave the Ministry of Interior 24 hours to defend N700 million collected from Service Wide Votes for the monitoring of Ondo and Edo States governorship elections.
From the record, the money was released in two batches; N400 million for Ondo State governorship election and N300 million for Edo State governorship Election.
The N400 million was captured as released to the Ministry of Interior for logistic and operational support in respect of the Ondo State gubernatorial election.
The second release reads: ‘N300 million to the Ministry of Interior for logistic and operational support in respect of forthcoming Edo state gubernatorial election.”
The Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, gave the directive to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, D.r S. Belgore due to an excuse by the Ministry that the N700 million will be accounted for by the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
According to the Permanent Secretary: “It is the NSDC that will account for the money.
“We only make requests on behalf of the NSDC.”
Not satisfied with the defence of the Permanent Secretary, the Chairman of the Committee said that the excuse is not tenable because the NSDC did not collect the money, it was the Ministry that collected the money.
He added that the NSDC will only come before the Committee to account for the money requested personally from Service Wide Votes.
He said: “NSDC has their own queries.
“They are coming before the panel to respond to the one that bears their names.
“They have the money given to them directly.
“From our records, it is your ministry that will defend the expenditures, not NSDC.”
The Chairman therefore gave the Ministry 24 hours to defend the N700 million for the Edo and Ondo States governorship elections.
“You have 24 hours to make your report available to us; we must get an explanation from you,” he submitted.
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