Reps probe N600bn ‘extra-budgetary’ expenditures by 115 MDAs

The Public Accounts Committee of House of Representatives yesterday opened an investigation into alleged over N600bn extra-budgetary spending by 115 ministries, departments and agencies. The chairman of the committee, Wole Oke, said the extra-budgetary expenditures were on salary and wages payments contained in the audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General for the […]

The Public Accounts Committee of House of Representatives yesterday opened an investigation into alleged over N600bn extra-budgetary spending by 115 ministries, departments and agencies.

The chairman of the committee, Wole Oke, said the extra-budgetary expenditures were on salary and wages payments contained in the audit queries raised by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation from 2018 to date.

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He described the extra-budgetary spending as an aberration against the constitution of Nigeria and a clear disregard to financial regulation and the Public Procurement Act.

The session was attended by a team from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation led by the Acting Accountant-General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh.

The query recommended that any MDA that failed to justify the sources and reasons for the extra-budgetary expenditures be appropriately penalised.

Oke directed Okolieaboh to provide the list of the 115 MDAs involved in the alleged spending to the committee today.