The House of Representatives Committee on Public Account (PAC) has directed the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments to refund N75 billion allocated to it as COVID-19 intervention funds to the Federal Government’s account.
The Committee, which gave the directive at an investigative hearing on the expenditure of COVID-19, directed the Ministry to furnish it with evidence that it returned the money to the government.
In the same vein, the Committee was angry with officials of the Ministry of Health over an undeclared N10 billion COVID-19 funds meant for the production of vaccines.
The Committee, however, directed the Ministry to return the money to the government account within seven days and furnish it with evidence of the payment of the N10 billion into the government’s coffers.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion by Bassey Akiba at a public hearing on COVID-19 funds in Abuja, yesterday.
Moving the motion, Akiba said the committee had written to the ministry three times to appear and account for the funds but they failed to reply.
“The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has been given the opportunity to appear and explain the usage and application of the N75 billion, but up till now, they have refused to appear.
“It, therefore, means that the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment does not have any explanation as to how the money was used.
“On this basis, I move, using the relevant section of the financial regulations, that the ministry be asked to refund N75 billion to the government,” he said.
In his ruling, Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam, said activities of the committee were backed by the Constitution, Standing Rules of the House and other relevant laws.
He explained that the motion affects all the Permanent Secretaries that served in the ministry since 2019.
The committee also resolved that the Federal Ministry of Health should equally refund N10 billion to government coffers. The amount, which was earmarked for COVID-19 vaccine production is yet to be utilised by the health ministry.
The committee gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian Rural Electrification Agency to submit documents to back its expenditure of over N12 billion COVID-19 intervention funds.
The committee said the agency should also appear before it on Monday, January 22, to give proper account of the expenses made.
