The Senate has directed the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading ( NBET), to refund the sum of N132, 066, 948.00million, into the Consolidated Revenue Fund ( CRF).
Checks revealed that the Senate’s directive was sequel to queries issued to that effect by the Auditor General of the Federation in the 2015 Audit Report.
The office of the Auditor General of the Federation in its report adopted by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts queried the use of the fund for procurement of Drivers Uniform and Overseas training.
The Senate Committee in its investigation discovered that the services of the drivers were outsourced to a private company and it was wrong for NIBET to have kitted the drivers.
The Senate equally discovered that out of the N132million, N95.320million was spent on overseas training for staff which never took place while the payment was made to the tune of N34.163mllion for unverifiable services.
The queries read in part: ” Payment of the sum of N34, 163,948.00million without internal audit checking for unverifiable services in violation of extant Financial Regulations.
“Payment of N2, 583,000.00million to a contractor for production of Uniform of outsourced drivers who supposed to be kitted by their firm and not NBET.
“Expenditure of the sum of N95, 320,000.00million for overseas training of Staff against Presidential directive and without documentary evidence. ”
It consequently directed NBET to remit the purported N132million expenses back into the Consolidated Revenue Fund ( CRV).
On the money expended on the provision of uniforms, the Senate said: ” Provision of uniforms to outsourced drivers is illegal. The contractor is supposed to provide uniforms for his staff and not NBET.
“NBET should therefore refund the sum of N2.583million to government coffers and evidence of refund submitted to the Senate Public Accounts Committee in accordance with Financial Regulations 3102, 3103 and 3115.”
The Senate Committee on Public Accounts under the leadership of Senator Mathew Urhoghide in its recommendations adopted by the Red Chamber noted that the ” N95million purportedly expended on overseas training for Staff between October and November 2014 which was in violation of Presidential directive of February 2014 and which has no documentary evidence, should be refunded into the CRF.
“Unpre – audited payment of N34.163million for unverifiable services should also be refunded into the CRF.
“The Accounting Officer who authorised the payment to be removed from his /her schedule according to Rule 3115 of the Financial Regulation for contravening the provision of Financial Regulation 1705 and evidence of compliance should be forwarded to the Auditor General as well as the Senate Public Accounts Committee .”
Credit: Nigerian Tribune