By Lubem Gena, Abuja
The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) said on Monday that over three hundred Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government have failed to submit their audited accounts to the Office of the Auditor- General for the Federation as required by law.
Section 85 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) which establishing the Office of the Auditor General required that all agencies of government must submit their audited accounts to the OAUGF not later than 31st of May of the preceding year.
The section also required the Auditor General to submit an audited report of all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies to the National Assembly within 90 days of receiving such report from the MDAs.
However, the last audited report of the consolidated revenue of the government submitted to the National Assembly is the 2019 audit report which was submitted in September 2021.
Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, of the House, Hon. Bamidele Salam said at the resumed investigative hearing of the Committee on the expenditure of government agencies from the COVID 19 funds that some of the agencies have not submitted their Audited report for about ten years
Hon. Salam said the Committee will carry out investigation to ascertain the MDAs that have defaulted in submitted their audited report as pi: avided for by the 1999 constitution as amended.
He said the House will also undertake a verification exercise of all government projects across the six geopolitical zones of the country to determine whether the projects are on ground and the extent of work carried out on them.
-The Committee to investigate the failure of the MDAs to submit their audited account is headed by Hon. Zakaria Nyamkpa (PDP-Adamawa) and has cne member each from the six geo-political zones.
The members are Hon. Kabir Ahmadu Mai Palace (North West), Hon. Maruf Adebayo (South West), Hon. Ojema Ojotu (North Central), Hon Ogbodon Mitema (South South), Hon. Ja’afaru Leko (North East) and Hon. Hon. Sunday Nnamchi (South East).
He also announced six zonal committees to verify government projects in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country who are expected to work through out the period of the Christmas holiday and report back to the comittee in January 2024 when the House resume from the Christmas break.
The zonal verification committees which has seven members each have as Chairmen, Hon. Chinedu Martins (South West), Hon. Olumide Osoba (South East), Hon. Jeremiah Umaru (South South), Hon. Taofeek Ajilesoro (North Central’ Hon. Garba Inuwa (North West) and Hon. Mustapha Aliyu (North East),
Below is the full membership list of the various committees.
Members to look into the consolidated revenue accounts subcommittee are:
Hon. Ahmadu Mai Palace-north west
Hon. Maruff Adebayo-South West
Hon. Prof. Sunday Nnaji –South East
Hon. Ojema Ojotu-North Central
Hon. Ogbodon Mitema-South-South
Hon. Jafaru Leko.-North East
Chairman, Hon. Zakaria Nyampa
Zonal sub-committee for evaluation of contracts, programmes and projects executed to work mostly during the Christmas upto the resumption period in January:
South West Zone
Hon. Chinedu Martins-Chairman
Hon. Kuye Ademoye
Hon. Makinde Peter Abiola
Hon. Martin Esin
Hon. Ladiye Adewale Akinremi
Hon. Abdulmuminu Mohammed
Hon. Engr Olatunji Akinlosi
South East
Hon. Olumide Osoba-Chairman
Hon. Nnolim Nnaji
Hon. Paul Nnanji
Hon. Kama Nkem Mkama
Hon. Nnabuife Chinwe Clara
Hon. Ojema Ojotu
Hon. Maidala Usman
South South
Hon. Umaru Jeremaih-Chairman
Hon. Marcus Onogbum
Hon. Etien Ogbolome***
Hon. Ogbodo Etema
Hon. Akinlade Abiodun
Hon. Oke Ojo
Hon. Shehu Ajilo
North Central
Hon. Taofeek Abimbola Ajilesoro-Chairman
Hon. Sekav Iyortyom
Hon. Ajiya Abdulrahman
Hon. Sanni Egidi Abdulraheem
Hon. Oluwiyi Raheem Tunji
Hon. Akinba Bassey Ekpenyong
Hon. Kabir Makama
North West
Hon. Garba Inuwa-Chairman
Hon. Sani Lawal
Hon. Koki Sagir Ibrahim
Hon. Ahmadu Mai Palace
Hon. Abddulkareem Hussein Ahmed
Hon. Fatoba Olusola
Hon. Onwusibe Ginger Chima
North East
Hon. Mustapha Aliyu Ibrahim-Chairman
Hon. Zakaria Nyampa Dauda
Hon. Jakduwa Hassan Kaikaku
Hon. Aliyu Bappa
Hon. Leko Jafar Gambo
Hon. Timeleyi Adelegbe
Hon. Kere Tochukwu Chinedu
”These will not only be restricted to the Covid-19 projects but every other project that have come under the radar of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)in the last two months from the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)”, Rep. Salam stated.
Apart from the COVID 19 projects, the Committee will also verify every project that has come under the radar of the Public Accounts Committee from the MDAs within the last two months when the Public Accounts Committee was constituted.
