H’Reps gives AGF 72hrs ultimatum to account for N100b COVID-19 intervention funds.

H’Reps gives AGF 72hrs ultimatum to account for N100b COVID-19 intervention funds.

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Accountant General of the Federation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein, demanding a detailed report on the use of the N100 billion COVID-19 intervention funds.

These funds were approved and released by the government of Muhammadu Buhari to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies between 2020 and 2022.

On Tuesday, Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun), issued a notice in Abuja, frowning at the Accountant General of the Federation’s (AGF) refusal to comply with the resolution of the Committee. The resolution required the AGF to submit the report by October 27, 2023.

While reading the Riot Act against the AGF, Salam explained that the House had mandated the Committee to investigate the “expenditure incurred under the COVID-19 interventions especially in the year 2020 and up to 2022.”

According to him, “A letter was written to the Accountant General to furnish the commit­tee with details of all releases pursuant to the provisions of the Appropriation Act as well as other interventions captured by the release from Central Bank of Nigeria to dif­ferent Ministries, Departments and agencies of Government.

“That letter, I was duly in­formed, showed that submis­sion is expected on or before October 27, 2023.

“As we speak, that input has not been received from the office of the accountant general of the Federation.

“That is a very very im­portant document that will guide our proceedings on the investigation the house man­dated us to carry out within a timeframe.

“Sir, you are the Deputy Di­rector PAC, if the letter comes most likely you will also have an input to the conversation.

“So, we are sending you now to go back home and let the accountant general know that she has defaulted at the request of the committee. We said on or before 27th if there are any objective reasons why she couldn’t meet up with that date, she should communi­cate to this committee to ask for the extension of time.”

To this end, he directed the AGF to transmit the report before the close of work on Friday, 3rd November, 2023.

A motion on the ‘Alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds from 2020 to 2022’, approved by the Federal Government for various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) between 2020 and 2022, was adopted. In sequel to the adoption of the motion, the House passed a resolution.

During the debate on the motion, Hon. Nyampa Dauda Zakari emphasized the role of the National Assembly in uncovering corruption in the use of public funds. Hon. Zakari expressed his concern that the COVID-19 pandemic had led to the loss of lives, jobs, and economic opportunities for many households both in Nigeria and worldwide.

“The House notes that the COVID–19 pandemic dis­rupted economic activities, leading to global measures such as lockdowns, travel re­strictions, business closures, and government shutdowns to control the virus’s spread.”