Reps query refugees commission over shoddy documentation, discrepancies

The House of Representatives on Monday queried documents prepared and presented to it by the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMIDP), saying it was filled with discrepancies and not properly prepared.

The lawmakers, through the House Committee on Public Accounts, also frowned at the failure of the Commission to properly account for the utilization of N25 billion appropriated between 2015 and 2019 fiscal years.

Chairman, House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Wole Oke, who presided an investigative hearing into the 2015 to 2019 audit queries issued by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation (oAuGF) to the Commission regretted the development.

The Commission had presented documents that showed that a total sum of N28.959 billion appropriated between 2015 to 2019 and 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.

The documents also showed that out of the amount, the sum of N22.369 billion was released out of which N14.735 billion was for capital expenditure.

The sum of N2.583 billion was also released in 2015; N1.462 billion in 2016; N2.346 billion in 2017; N1.058 in 2018 and N1.370 billion in 2019 for the implementation of various Zonal Intervention Projects.

While requesting for details of all capital projects, Oke observed some irregularities in the documents presented to the Committee, questioning the Director, Finance and Accounts (DFA) on the expenditures.

He said: “He (DFA) is out to defend the expenditure of N25 billion; that is the task before us now. 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.

Read also: Reps move to halt entry of foreign herdsmen into Nigeria

“I am only summarising 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 are human error,”.

The Head of Planning, Research, and Documentation, Mrs. Ama Edet, when asked about the documents, denied knowledge of any money.

“The accounting department just gave me the details then I just compile it and put it in the form that it is. So I don’t know anything about the money on the compilation. I don’t know.”

Responding to Mrs. Edet, Oke said the presentation was not properly done.

“The presentation is not proper, it is 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 and ask that the document should go and be tidied up

“Please go back and tidy it up properly. The Director of Planning said she’s not an accountant, I don’t expect that statement from you”.

The committee thereafter gave the commission one-week ultimatum to represent the document.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now