The Defence Headquarters, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Assets Management Company of Nigeria, and the Nigeria Budget Office, among others, boycotted a Senate Public Account Committee (SPAC) investigation into the use of Service Wide Votes. (SWV)
The fourteen MDAs scheduled to appear before the Committee chaired by Senator Mathew Urhoghide received N857 billion from the Service Wide Votes Fund, as it was discovered that some agencies received funds from the votes fund that were greater than their annual budget.
The Committee is investigating the use of Service Wide Votes between 2017 and 2021, which amounts to approximately N5 trillion, as over 200 agencies are expected to defend the use of funds secretly collected without involving the National Assembly Committees mandated by the Constitution to oversee them.
Lamenting the attitude of the agencies that have ignored the Committee, the chairman stated that there is a problem of accountability among the country’s government agencies, which is a violation of the constitution.
He stated that the affected agencies should respect the rule of law and come and account for the money collected through Service Wide Votes without involving the National Assembly Committee tasked with overseeing them.
The Chairman said, ” I don’t know the audacity they have to choose not to appear before the National Assembly Committee.
“We are going ruthlessly against all of them, we will issue a warrant of arrest against any agency which fails to honour the invitation.”
According to the record, Budget Office Collected – N68bn, Refugee Commission – N10.2bn, Defence – N579bn, AMCON- N8.13bn, Civil Defence – N4.9bn, Foregin Affairs – N96.6bn, Military- N66.8bn, SGF- N23.9bn and NEMA – N2.3bn collected from Service Wide Votes between 2017 to 2021, Airforce – N14bn
Meanwhile, the Public Complaint Commission Tuesday failed to present a letter of request for the collection of N1.7bn from Service Wide Votes between 2017 to 2021 to the Senate Panel.
At the beginning of the investigative hearing, the Chairman of the Committee told the PCC team the total amount of funds collected from SWV. He asked Chief Commissioner Abimbola Ayo-Yusuf to present the letter requesting for the Service Wide Votes.
But, Chief Commissioner failed to present the Service Wide Votes letter of request.
”I don’t have the letters requesting for the Service Wide Votes,” he said.
However, there was a mild drama as the Senate Committee on Ethics and Privileges Chairman. He oversaw the Public Complaint Commission and said that he was unaware of N852 million from Service Wide Votes without his knowledge.
The Chief Commissioner however vowed to look for letters of the request and present them before the Panel on November 1.
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