The House of Representatives Committee on Public Account on Monday sent back officers of the Nigerian Navy who represented the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS), Ibok Ibas at an investigative hearing to defend a query on N11.5million unaccounted for by the service.
The Chairman of the Committee, Wole Oke (PDP-Osun) thereby, issued a seven-day ultimatum to the CNS to appear in person before it unfailingly to answer the query.
The Office of the Auditor General of the Federation (OAuGF) had raised a query concerning N11.5 million paid as rent for a four-bedroom apartment in Ikoyi Lagos State by the Nigerian Navy.
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The OAGF observed that the receipt issued did not reflect the duration of the rent and that none deduction of Value Added Tax (VAT) was in violation of financial regulations.
Oke frowned at the Chief of Naval Staff for refusing to appear in person and his failure to state in writing why he should not appear before the committee.
“We will not accept your representation, I have been privileged in this House to man the Committee on Defence.
If the Chief of Naval Staff is indisposed to appear before this committee, the least I expect him to do is to send either the Naval Secretary or the Chief of Naval Account and Budgets.
“Please this parliament belongs to you, democracy survives on a tripod one of which is a very strong and vibrant Arm Forces. I think the military, the armed forces are done well and fared better under democratic governance.
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“We will not accept your appearance, if the Chief of Naval Staff cannot appear, he should send a very senior officer to appear before this committee; he has seven days to course appearance, within seven days please,” he said.
The delegation sent by the Chief of Naval Staff was led by the Assistant Director of Budget, Murtala Ahmed who explained that the Chief of Naval Staff was unable to appear in person because of other service exigencies.
Meanwhile, the Committee has sent a delegation of four lawmakers to Osun to confirm if N30 million was paid as compensation to communities whose properties were demolished while implementing the canalisation of Okoko and Ugbaga Rivers contract in Osogbo.
This was a sequel to a query raised by the Office of the OAGF, stating that the N30 million was misappropriated as there was no record to show that the compensation was paid.
Responding to the query, the Permanent Secretary in the Ecology Fund, Office of the Secretary of the Federation, Habiba Lawa said the compensation was paid to affected victims.
She stated that the evidence which included a letter from the contractor that handled the project, payment of professional fees to the negotiators, receipts and signatures of beneficiaries had been submitted to the committee for verification.
