Reps query NNPC, CBN, others over unaudited accounts

The House Committee on Public Accounts has released its report on Federal Government ministries, departments, and organizations that failed to submit audited accounts within eight years.

The Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (now Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited), Niger Delta Development Commission, and Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission were among those named in the report presented to the plenary on Thursday by the committee’s Chairman, Oluwole Oke.Information Guide Nigeria

It was titled, ‘Report of the Committee on Public Accounts on the Deliberate and Reckless Refusal by Ministries, Departments and Agencies of Government to Render Audited Accounts for the periods 2014–2018 and 2019–2021 to the Auditor–General for the Federation and Approve the Recommendations Therein.’

The committee recommended prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the issue of warrants of arrest against chief accounting officers, and the punishment of several MDAs in its report.

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The committee urged the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, the Accountant General of the Federation, and the Auditor-General of the Federation to issue a joint government circular outlining harsh sanctions for agencies that violated Financial Regulation 3010 for the fiscal years 2019-2021.

The committee also stated that “many agencies often violate the Appropriation Act by deliberately subjecting their internally generated revenue to some committees (of the National Assembly) directly overseeing them for approval and expend same illegally without Mr. President’s assent.”NYSC portal

In its conclusions from the first batch of investigations from 2014 to 2018, the committee stated that certain MDAs claimed that the procurement procedure for hiring their external auditors was burdensome, which was the reason they operated without being audited during these periods.

The committee stated that it discovered gross negligence by directors of finance and accounts/bursars in some MDAs in ensuring that the accounts were audited properly, including delays in the appointment of governing councils/boards and in the approval/signing of audited accounts by the governing councils/boards.

According to the committee, some current CFOs refused to sign audited financial statements provided by former CEOs, while some MDAs presented unsigned financial statements. In addition, some letters proving the submission of audited accounts to the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation lacked an acknowledgment of receipt or had a feeble one.JAMB portal

The committee consequently suggested that all MDAs be instructed to submit their audited financial statements by May 31 of each year.

In the absence of a board or governing council, the supervising body of the MDAs should sign audited accounts so as not to delay their delivery to the Office of the Auditor-General.

“No outgoing CEO should exit office without duly completing the process of audited accounts, signed and rendered to the Office of the Auditor-General,” the committee further recommended.

The report read in part, “All chief accounting officers of the 54 government agencies listed on Pages 4 – 6 that refused to appear to defend their positions during the public fearing without any written reason, prominent among them are CBN, NNPC, NDDC, RMAFC, etc., should be issued warrant of arrest to compel their appearance to respond to the matter within a week, in line with section 89 (d) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).”

On the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, the committee stated that “the reckless and deliberate refusal by the management of the agency to render their audited accounts for the past five years (2005 – 2019) is a violation of Section 85 (3) (b) of the 1999 Constitution.”

According to the report, the Federal Housing Authority submitted audited accounts last in 2003.

“The Agency could not provide proof for the rendition of 2014 audited accounts. This act negates Section 85 (3) (6) of the Constitution. Therefore, all former MDAs, DFAs, and external auditors should be handed over to the EFCC and sanctioned accordingly,” the committee recommended.JAMB Result

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