Reps to probe Refugee Commission over utilization of N25bn budget
By The House of Representatives has expressed dissatisfaction with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMIDP) for its failure to provide relevant documents on the utilization of N25 billion appropriated between 2015 and 2019 fiscal years and vowed to investigate same.
Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Wole Oke gave this indication on Monday at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja when he presided over the investigative hearing into the 2015 to 2019 audit queries issued by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation (oAuGF).
Oke emphasized that there was need to investigate the efficiency of Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) with the view to stop the issue of ghost workers in all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
The documents presented by the Commission to the Committee revealed that from the total sum of N28.959 billion that was appropriated between 2015 to 2019, the sum of N1.894 billion was released for personnel cost; N433.218 million for overhead cost while N23.923 billion was approved for capital expenditure.
According to the documents, out of the amount, the sum of N22.369 billion was released out of which N14.735 billion was for capital expenditure.
As stated in the document, the sums of N2.583 billion was released in 2015; N1.462 billion in 2016; N2.346 billion in 2017; N1.058 in 2018 and N1.370 billion in 2019 were released for the implementation of various Zonal Intervention Projects respectively.
While requesting for details of all the capital projects, Oke frowned at the inconsistencies observed in the documents presented to the Committee.
“What did you do with N25 billion. Yes you could make payment to x, y, z, which is reflected in the bank statement but what is the consideration; what is the purpose of the payment?
“If the bank tells you debit and credit, you pay x, y, z, yes; inflow from Federal Government, from the office of the Accountant General release based on the budget provisions then outflow – expenditure. So our question is, what was the consideration, what did you pay for. Auditor General what is the consideration? That’s what you have to defend, and it’s very simple.
“I’m only summarizing so that we can take a position, so that the whole world can understand where we are. You’ve given us your record even with all the inaccuracies which is human error,” Oke queried.
Oke said the document was worse than a presentation by a year three Senior Secondary Student (SSS 3), insisting that the presentation was not proper and not in order.
“The presentation before us, ordinarily I would have dropped everything on the doorstep of the National Commissioner but he’s just coming on board, and you his lieutenants you have not done well.
“You have not done well at all, simple arithmetic accuracy that a Primary 6 student even let’s say SSS 3 student will take his calculator and add together is what we are grappling with here! If we agree, we simply return this document as ask that the document should go and be tidied up. Please you to back and tidy it up properly. The Director of Planning she’s not an accountant, I don’t expect that statement from you,” Hon. Oke note
To this end, the Committee resolved to accede to the Federal Commissioner’s request for a week ultimatum to re-present the document.