Economy
HOUSE of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has frowned at the Federal Capital Development Authority, FCDA for not renditioning its financial accounts for 7 years.
The reprimand followed a series of queries raised against FCDA by the office of the Auditor General of the federation which came under investigation by the committee.
The chairman of the Committee, Hon. Busayo Oluwole Oke had summoned the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of FCDA, Mr Olusola Olusade, two retired Permanent Secretaries, Sir Chinnyeaka Ohaa and Mr Ajakaye as well two former Directors of Finance of the ministry for explanation.
At the resumption of the Committee’s investigation where the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Olusade who appeared along other top officials of the Ministry were grilled described the ministry’s failure as gross violation of the Constitution.
He said: “This is disheartening and unheard of Mr Permanent Secretary. We have to summon your two precedesoors in office, the Directors of Finance and others having something to do with this mess, he will come and tell Nigerians what is responsible for their failures to carry out their assignments having received their annual salaries and other allowances from the federal government and failed to justify the money they collected.
“Things can not continue like this. As lawmakers, we have to stop all these shortcomings for the nation to move forward, let them come and tell us what is responsible for the inefficiency, negligence, or is it because of manpower, we must hold some people responsible for the gross violation of the laws of the land, Nigeria is not a Banana republic where anything goes”.
Responding, the Permanent Secretary, Olusade admitted that the FCDA erred for not rendering the audited accounts to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation as required.
Submitting that the issue was being addressed, Olusade added that audited account had been submitted up to 2019 and that the 2020 was almost ready for submission.
“When I assumed office as the Permanent Secretary, I discovered the problem of none rendition of audited accounts on ground. I quickly waded in, and put the officers in charge on their toes because I know that a day like this would come and I can assure you that the narration has changed. We are putting our house in order. It will not repeat it self again”, he said.
But the representative of the office of the Auditor General countered the perm secretary, saying that there was no record to that effect and promised to cross check and report back to the Committee.
The Committee also resolved to embark on physical inspection of the projects to ascertain value for money.
(Vanguard)
– June 23, 2022 @ 16:11 GMT | C.E
Tags: Busayo Oluwole Oke Chinnyeaka Ohaa House of Representatives Olusola Olusade
