The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, yesterday, ordered the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment to refund the N75 billion allocated to it as COVID-19 intervention fund.
It also mandated the Federal Ministry of Health to return N10 billion meant for production of COVID-19 vaccines to the Federal Government.
The panel further directed Director General of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Salihijo Ahmed, to submit documents detailing utilisation of the organisation’s COVID-19 fund.
Ahmed, however, pleaded with the lawmakers for more time to submit relevant documents.
The resolutions were sequel to a motion moved by Bassey Akiba (LP: Cross River State), following non-appearance of ministry officials at the committee’s investigative hearing in Abuja.
The panel had invited 59 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to appear before it for commencement of hearing into alleged mismanagement of funds meant to tackle the global health pandemic.
At the commencement of sitting, Akiba moved the motion to compel the ministry to return the funds appropriated to it.
The panel adopted the motion and ordered the ministry to return the funds to the coffers of the Federal Government.
Earlier in his remarks, chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam (PDP: Osun State), lamented that despite the series of invitations extended to the ministry, its officials failed to show up.
He said: “The Federal Ministry of Trade, Industry and Investment got the sum of N75 billion as COVID-19 intervention fund. The Public Account Committee has sent invitations to the ministry three times, and none of the invitations was honoured.
“Former Permanent Secretary and the current Permanent Secretary are affected by this motion to refund the sum of N75 billion to the Federal Government as COVID-19 intervention fund, which as far as we are concerned, has not been expended.”
The Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachallom, however, informed the lawmakers that the funds were domiciled with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF).
The panel insisted that the money should be returned, stressing that the ministry could reapply to the National Assembly for the money if still needed.
