Senators query Accountant General over unpaid loans discovered by Auditor General
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Senators have queried Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) over failure to repay N910.04 billion short term loans given to Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) from Special Funds Accounts.
Senate Public Accounts Committee chaired by Mathew Urhoghide made the discovery following the submission of the 2017 Auditor General report.
The query shows the balances of loans and debts from Special Funds Accounts were not paid throughout the year although the loans are meant to be short term.
The OAGF in its response claimed several letters had been written to the Minister of Finance to authorise the settlement of the loans granted against allocations of MDAs affected.
The OAGF disclosed it had requested the Minister to include the repayment of the loans in the 2017 budget.
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Abuse of Special Funds Accounts
The Senate committee said there was an abuse of the Special Funds Accounts by the executive as the withdrawals were continually made for political expediency outside the purpose for which the funds were meant.
“There is continuous abuse of the special funds by executive as the withdrawals are continually made for political expediency outside the purpose which the funds were meant,” the report said, according to The PUNCH.
The Senate directed that all outstanding loans be recovered by the OAGF and evidence of recovery presented to the Auditor General and the Senate Public Accounts Committee within 60 days.
Ndume confirms Senate presidency aspirants offering $200,000 bribe for votes
Lawmakers themselves are not free of alleged financial fraud, as Senator Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), one of the longest serving members of the Red Chamber, has confirmed that some Senate President aspirants are offering as much as $200,000 bribe to their colleagues to vote for them.
He made the disclosure on Arise TV in May when was asked about the amount of money being shared to Senators-elect to buy their votes in the 10th Senate leadership election.
“I’ve said it several times that the unfortunate thing that is happening is that the other candidates are talking about money,” Ndume stressed.
“The only qualification that they are displaying is the amount of money that they tell Senators-elect that they can give them.
“People are talking about figures, but nobody has approached me. Some are talking about 10, 20, 30, 40 and even more than that.
“Some are even boasting that they will give every Senator up to $200,000. Figures are flying. That is the truth. That is honestly very unfortunate.”
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