The House of Representatives’ Public Accounts Committee has summoned the Acting Auditor General of the Federation, Aghughu Adolphus to appear before it and shield light on the $36.1m World Bank loan to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
The Committee, Chaired by Wole Oke (Osun–PDP) issued the summon on Tuesday at the resumed investigation of the World Bank Assisted loan during which the Team led by a Deputy Director, Babalola Olanrewaju could not explain the rationale behind taking the loan in the first instance.
Oke demanded that: “We want to know what the loan was meant for before going to sign for it? What was your procurement plan before arriving at that figure? Or is it a reward? We need to know the programme plan how you want to ultilise the loan
“The Acting Auditor General of the Federation, we are aware of his journey but there is no need to hurry about it, let him cause appearance before the Committee on next week Tuesday to come and explain the rationale behind the loan and to provide other vital information about it.
Read also: Nigeria in Final Stages of Talks for World Bank loan, says Ahmed
“Let him come and brief us properly, it is a loan that will be paid back and the next ten years now, you will leave the service of the Federation, your children and our Children will be the one that will be repaying the loans to our creditors, that’s why the man himself has to come and explain to the parliament personally.
“We knew the efforts we made about getting to the root of the loan, we knew how many battles we fought about it, the office of the Auditor General of the Federation is starved with funds, the place is understaffed, yet that huge amount is hanging somewhere, this not acceptable.
“The Office of the Auditor General of the Federation is saddled with the responsibility of auditing all the Ministries Departments and Agencies MDAs of the Federal Government for accountability and to boost anti-corruption crusade of the President Muhammadu Buhari.”
He, therefore, directed the Clerk to the Committee to write the Acting Auditor General of the Federation to cause appearance before the Committee by next week Tuesday to address the lawmakers in person about the loan.
