National Assembly Gives Accountant-General 72 Hours To Account For N100billion COVID-19 Funds

The Nigerian House of Representatives has given the Accountant-General of the Federation, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein, a 72-hour ultimatum to provide a comprehensive report on the utilisation of N100billion COVID-19 intervention funds.

The funds were released by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to various Ministries, Departments and Agencies between 2020 and 2022, and the lawmakers are demanding transparency and accountability in their usage.

Bamidele Salam, who is the Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts and a Peoples Democratic Party from Osun announced the ultimatum.
This was due to the AGF’s failure to comply with the resolution of the committee to submit the report by October 27, 2023.

The lawmaker was quoted by Daily Trust saying: “A letter was written to the Accountant General to furnish the committee with details of all releases pursuant to the provisions of the Appropriation Act as well as other interventions captured by the release from Central Bank of Nigeria to different Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government.

“That letter, I was duly informed showed that submission is expected on or before October 27, 2023. As we speak, that input has not been received from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

“That is a very important document that will guide our proceedings on the investigation the house mandated us to carry out within a timeframe”.

Recall that the House had, after a resolution on a motion, mandated the committee to investigate “expenditure incurred under COVID-19 interventions especially in 2020 and up to 2022.”
Hence, the lawmaker asked the AGF to transmit the report before closing of work on Friday, November 3, 2023.