The Home of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts yesterday directed the Federal Ministry of Trade, Commerce and Funding to refund the N75 billion allotted to it as COVID-19 intervention fund.
It additionally directed the Federal Ministry of Well being to return N10 billion meant for the manufacturing of COVID-19 vaccines to the Federal Authorities.
The panel additional directed the Director Common of the Rural Electrification Company (REA), Salihijo Ahmed, to submit paperwork detailing the usage of the group's COVID-19 fund.
Ahmed, nevertheless, begged lawmakers for extra time to submit related paperwork.
The resolutions adopted a movement by Bassey Akiba (LP: Cross River State) after ministry officers failed to seem on the fee's investigative listening to in Abuja.
The panel had invited 59 ministries, departments and companies (MDAs) to seem earlier than the panel to start listening to on alleged mismanagement of funds meant to sort out the worldwide well being pandemic.
At the start of the assembly, Akiba launched a movement to drive the ministry to return the funds allotted to the ministry.
The panel handed the movement and ordered the ministry to return the cash to the federal authorities's coffers.
Earlier in his remarks, Chairman of the committee, Bamidele Salam (PDP: Osun State), regretted that regardless of the collection of invites prolonged to the ministry, its officers didn’t present up.
He mentioned: “The Federal Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Funding was given the sum of N75 billion as COVID-19 intervention fund. The Public Account Committee despatched invites to the ministry thrice, however not one of the invites have been honored.
“Former Everlasting Secretary and the present Everlasting Secretary are affected by this movement to refund the sum of N75 billion to the Federal Authorities as COVID-19 Intervention Fund, which so far as we’re involved has not been spent.”
Nonetheless, Everlasting Secretary Daju Kachallom knowledgeable lawmakers that the funds have been domiciled with the Workplace of the Accountant Common of the Federation (OAGF).
The panel insisted that the cash be returned, stressing that the ministry may reapply for the cash from the Nationwide Meeting if it have been nonetheless wanted.
