Fashola’s ministry embezzles N9.2bn

The Auditor-General’s 2015 annual report has revealed that the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing failed to account for the sum of N9.2bn.

Daily Trust says that the report revealed that the infractions were perpetrated by top government officials between January and December 31, 2015.

The report showed that Ministry of Power, Works and Housing misappropriated N9.2billion.

Others are Ministry of Petroleum Resources - N1.7 billion; Women Affairs - N20 million; Solid Minerals Development - N37.6 million; Transport -N87.8 million; Environment - N86.5 million and Niger Delta Affairs - N1.9 billion.

Ministry of Defence - N2.692bn; defunct Ministry of Police Affairs - N1.839bn; Youths and Sports Development - N1.144bn; Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment - N1.076.bn, and the Ministry of Finance - N22.103m.

Aviation - N702 million; Water Resources - N3.4 billion; Foreign Affairs - N4.4 million; Labour and Employment - N84.7 million and Information and Culture N561.6 million.

The report submitted to the National Assembly has since been assigned to the Senate Committee on Public Accounts for further action.

In the Ministry of Power, Works and Housing the report showed that the amount standing against Works sector is N1.2 billion; Power N7.3 billion and Housing N723 million.

In the power sector, the report stated that the sum of N7billion was received by the Ministry in January 2015 as shown in the accounts.

“This fund was spread into four commercial banks under the account name Hydropower Transmission Project. The budget for 2015 was not yet passed as at the time this money was received by the Ministry in January 2015 while the account for the year 2014 was already closed as 31st, 2014,” the report stated.

It also observed that there was no evidence that such money was budgeted for the Hydropower Transmission Project in either 2014 or 2015 fiscal year of the Ministry Appropriation Act.

Another expenditure amounting to N246 million was also queried in the power sector. The money was paid to some staff of the Ministry as ‘advanced’.

During the Audit of the Ministry, the retirement vouchers and the details of retirement were not forwarded for examination despite several demands.

“Having exceeded the various time limits stipulated in the financial regulations, N246million should be recovered from the officers immediately, forwarding recovery particulars for verification,” the report said.

N1.2bn unaccounted in Works

The report said the contractor handling the 18km Manyam-Ushonog-lessel-Kantyo-Oju-Agile-Ongba road in Benue state abandoned the project after collecting N155million. The Auditor-General demanded for the refund of N 124 million.

It also demanded for the refund of N218 million being part of the money paid the contractor handling Yashi-Duguri-Yalo road in Bauchi state.

The Auditor-General ordered that a total of N902 be refunded to the Federation account by five contractors that collected the money but have abandoned sites.

N104m staff advances not paid

In the Housing sector of the Ministry, the Auditor-General report stated that advance ledger revealed that various advances granted to staff totalling N104million were overdue for retirement as at 31st December, 2015.

“Multiple advances were granted to some staff without retiring the previous ones. The unretired advances should be recovered from the officers’ emoluments en-bloc forwarding recovery particulars for verification,” the report said.