The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee, on Thursday, ordered the Federal Ministry of Health and The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investments to refund the total sum of N85billion allocated to them as COVID-19 intervention funds.
The resolution followed a motion introduced by Bassey Akiba, a Labour Party member from Cross River State, in response to the absence of ministry officials from Thursday’s investigation hearing.
In a recent advertorial, PAC called 59 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to appear before it for the start of an investigative inquiry into the alleged abuse of money intended to combat the worldwide health pandemic known as the Coronavirus.
The meeting between the lawmakers and the ministries was originally scheduled for Wednesday, January 17, but the House moved it to Thursday to express condolences to the government and people of Oyo State following Tuesday’s explosion in the state capital, Ibadan.
Akiba presented a motion at the commencement of the National Assembly session requesting that the ministry repay the cash allotted to it.
The motion was accepted by the committee after it was seconded, and the ministry was told to repay the funds to the Federal Government’s accounts.
In his previous remark, the Chairman of the Committee, Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun State), regretted that despite a succession of invitations made to the Ministry, its personnel failed to turn up.
“The Federal Ministry of Trade, Industries and Investments got the sum of N75bn as COVID-19 Intervention funds. The Public Account Committee has sent invitations to the Ministry of Trade Industries and Investments three times, and none of the invitations was honoured,”
Salam was quoted by PUNCH.
The Chairman continued: “The Federal Ministry of Trade was to make their appearance yesterday (Wednesday). That was the last opportunity given to them and there was no such appearance. N75bn Naira was appropriated to them.
“Former Permanent Secretary and the current Permanent Secretary are affected by this motion to refund the sum of N75bn back to the Federal Government as COVID-19 intervention funds which as far as we are concerned,has not been expended.”
This is just as the committee also mandated the Federal Ministry of Health to return N10bn meant for the production of COVID-19 vaccines but which was not spent, back to the Federal Government.
Unlike the Trade Ministry, the Federal Ministry of Health sent a representative, Permanent Secretary Daju Kachallom, who informed the Committee that the money were held at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
The committee, however, instructed that the money be returned, emphasising that the Ministry may reapply to the National Assembly for the funds if they are still required.
In a related event, the Committee directed the Director General of the Rural Electrification Agency, Salihijo Ahmed, to produce documentation showing the agency’s use of COVID-19 Intervention money.