The House of Representatives has indicted 31 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) over financial irregularities involving more than N103.8 billion and $950,000, urging anti-graft agencies to recover the funds.
This followed the adoption of a motion by Rep. Bamidele Salam during Tuesday’s plenary, based on findings by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) from the Auditor-General’s reports for 2019 and 2020.
The lawmakers called on the EFCC, ICPC, and FIRS to investigate and recover the missing funds, some of which were traced to unauthorised expenditures, procurement violations, and unremitted revenues.
Among those indicted:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Ordered to return over N124 million and $795,000 for unapproved expenses in Ethiopia.
- Bank of Agriculture: Cited over N75 billion in uncollected loans. It was directed to publish a list of debtors and recover the debts.
- Rural Electrification Agency: Accused of mismanaging over N1.3 billion, including unauthorised transfers and unapproved project costs.
- Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NCSL): Directed to refund over N1 billion, including tax defaults and contractor misappropriations.
- Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Plc: Instructed to recover N14.4 billion in unapproved allowances and refund N432 million in under-deducted payments.
Other agencies flagged include the Veterinary Council, NEPZA, Nigeria Customs Service, and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources, which must refund various unapproved expenditures and retrieve government assets.
Lawmakers also urged that heads of agencies be empowered to appoint external auditors in the absence of governing boards, suggesting reforms to existing financial regulations.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the session, praised Rep. Salam and committee members for their work, calling the report “thorough and timely.”
