Posted by The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy has given a 48-hour deadline for accounting for the N13.9 billion Service Wide vote collected between 2017 and 2021.
Senator Mathew Uroghide, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, issued the ultimatum during an investigative hearing in Abuja on Tuesday.
The instruction came as a result of the Permanent Secretary, William Alo, being unable to adequately explain the Ministry’s N13.9 billion expenditure before the panel.
Alo was unable to present documentary evidence, leaving the panelists perplexed by the Ministry’s impunity.
Midway through the probe, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary and Director of Finance requested for extra time to produce supporting papers.
The proposal enraged MPs, who revealed that the Committee had been fighting for four months to have Ministry officials appear before it.
“Based on data made available to the committee from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, a total of N13.9 billion was disbursed to the Ministry from the Service Wide votes for special capital project execution from 2017 to 2021,” Senator Uroghide added.
The congressman claimed that the Committee has written multiple invitation letters, but the officials continue to refuse.
“Only for you to come here today with the DFA of the Ministry to beg for more time, which would not be granted beyond Thursday this week because the committee must submit a report to the Senate on how your Ministry and many of the other MDAs are avoiding explanations on spendings made from Service Wide Votes,” he said.
Uroghide stated that the committee’s inquiry revealed that government officials spent Service Wide Votes carelessly and demanded that the Ministry of Communications explain how the sum was spent.
However, the committee agreed to hear the troubled Permanent Secretary again on Thursday.