N28bn excess payments: Senate demands explanation from Budget Office

The Senate has asked the Budget Office to give details of the N28.8 billion allegedly paid in excess from the 2015 budget to some unnamed government agencies.

The Senate Public Accounts Committee is currently scrutinising the 2016 report of the Auditor General for the Federation.

The panel’s Chairman, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, explained at the last sitting of the committee on Thursday that the Budget Office must explain the payment which was not part of the 2015 budget.

However, the Budget Office had, in a document obtained by our correspondent, responded to the AuGF’s query on the matter.

“The details of the MDAs under reference have not been provided to enable us to respond appropriately,” the explanation read.

The query was issued to the Budget Office, four years ago.

Not satisfied with its explanation, the Senate panel summoned the Budget Office to appear before it this week to respond to the query.

The AuGF’s query read, “The sum of N28,880,533,107 was paid to some MDAs as advance payment from their approved budgets in 2015.

“There was no evidence to show that these advances were recovered from the subsequent payments made to these MDAs, resulting in excess releases to the benefiting MDAs, above their appropriated amounts.

“Furthermore, there was no evidence of any supplementary budgetary allocation from the National Assembly.

“The Director-General was requested to recover these advances from the benefiting MDAs from subsequent payments due to them and show evidence of supplementary approval from the National Assembly for the sum of N28,880,533,107.00 released as advances.

“Evidence of compliance should be furnished for verification.” Punch