The House of Representatives, Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday began an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds from 2020 to 2023.
Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun) in his opening remarks warned that the committee would not entertain delay tactics from the Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by asking for extension of time.
He said: “The Committee is probing over 60 MDAs over several billions of naira intervention funds allocated to them during the COVID-19 and we have given them enough time to prepare for this exercise, the committee will not entertain any extension of time from any of the MDAs. The committee is not after any individual or groups; we are going to be diligent in carrying out our assignment.”
He urged the Accountant General of the Federation to make available relevant and competent personnel to the committee to facilitate the assignment
Some of the MDAs that appeared before the committee included Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Federal Ministry of Water Resources, Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) and others.
The Committee directed the Chief Medical Director of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, Bauchi, Prof Yusuf Jubrin, to reappear on Thursday with relevant documents to back up the funds released to the institution during the period
The committee, however, picked holes in the presentations of the Acting Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Communication Innovation and Digital Economy and the Procurement Officer, Mohammed Ibrahim and Mrs Margret Ebute respectively.
The lawmakers, therefore, directed the officials to go back and reappear with relevant documents, such as vouchers documentary evidence on the expenditure of the N3 billion allocated for the ministry during the period
The committee also frowned on the awards of the several contracts on the same day and the claim of exclusive rights of certain contractors to provide certain services without following principles of federal character and due process.
