…mandates Justice Ministry to produce documents by Dec 1
OSAS EMMANUEL
It came as a rude shock to members of the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC), to hear that the documents requesting and approval letters for collection a whopping sum of N2.2 billion from the Service Wide Vote is missing.
Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mrs B.E Jeddy, made the shocking revelation on Tuesday while appearing before the investigative panel of SPAC.
Recall that last month, the Committee Chaired by Senator Mathew Urhoghide, had last mandated the Ministry of Justice to submit documents relating to the approval of N2.2 billion from Service Wide Vote between 2017-2021.
But on Tuesday, after a frantic search by both the Permanent Secretary and the Fiance and Account Department in the Ministry, the two top civil servants failed to produce documents relating to the withdrawal from the Federal Government contingency fund.
She told the lawmakers that it was certain that the request was made by the Ministry before the money could be released.
The Permanent Secretary said, “they have checked the relevant documents, they can’t find it. It is quite unfortunate.
“The Departments of Fiance and Account is responsible. I can assure that this request was made.
“We could not find any document probably as a result of record keeping, they could not find the request and approval letters.”
Disturbed Chairman of the Committee, Senator Urhoghide said “who gave the approval, we have not seen any letter of approval/request. It only means extra-budgetary spending.
“I think we are magnanimous enough in this Committee, what this means is inept, it is not nice that you cannot find the approval and request letters. The recommendations of the Committee will not be nice.”
The Committee, therefore, ordered the Ministry to provide the documents by Thursday next week, December 1, 2022.
