N59.6bn: Reps issue 24-hour ultimatum to CBN, NNPC, AGF to appear

The House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) to appear before it over an alleged N59.6 billion missing fund from the service wide vote in 2006.

It had last week commenced investigation into the N72,412,854,231.59 released from the service wide vote to Nigeria police between 2004 and 2012.

Breakdown of the fund showed that the sum of N33,894,577 was released in 2005; N46,035,497,625.08 was released in 2009; N193,579,500 released in 2010; N14,966,583,588.59 was released in 2011 while N11,183,298,941 was released in 2012 to Nigeria police, according to the petitions issued by the auditor general of the federation.

According to the report, cash advance of N8.025 million was released to an officer in August 2010 to renovate the permanent secretary’s office and conference room of Federal Ministry of Police Affairs.

Another query was issued on the two cash advances totaling N4.660 million granted to an officer on two payment vouchers dated August 31, 2010 for in-house induction course for accounts officers in the command.

The third query was issued against the sum of N75.4 million paid in August 2010 in favour of a company in Lekki, Lagos for the procurement of vehicle but were not adequately supported by relevant documents.

While ruling on the N59.6 billion missing fund, Solomon Adeola, chairman of the committee, who issued the notice during the investigative hearing, Tuesday, directed Jonah Otunla, AGF, to provide relevant documents including all bank transactions between July and December 2006, copies of the federation account and statements of accounts through CBN for the period under review.

He said, “If there was any mandate on the said missing N59.6 billion it will show at a glance. We are tired of all the excuses of all the agencies involved claiming ignorance at one stage or the other.”

KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja