Teddy Oscar, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has uncovered the sum of N11.7 million that was meant for the hosting of an international conference in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja by the Federal Civil Service Commission (FCSC) , but was paid into the personal bank account of a staff of the commission, and has proceeded to query the decision of the commission to carryout such transaction.
Dropping the hint on Monday, chairman of the committee, Hon. Solomon Adeola Olamilekan, directed the commission to produce the unnamed staff before it by tomorrow (Wednesday), condemned the transaction.
“Why must an individual be given such a huge amount to be paid into his or her personal account? Government money being paid into a personal account? What of if he or she runs away with the money? It is illegal and unacceptable, it is against financial regulations. The committee will get to the root of the transaction, the affected staff should be brought before this committee by Wednesday,” he said.
He directed the permanent secretary of the commission, Mr. Suleiman Mustapha to furnish the committee with the names of the members of staff that attended the conference, certificates of participation, numbers of rooms hired at the Sheraton Hotels Abuja and the names of the occupants as well as official receipts for all the transactions.
He warned that if the committee found out that the hotel rooms were occupied by foreign participants ,the commission would be made to refund such money.
Similarly, it was discovered that N493,000 was paid to another staff to attend a conference but with no evidence that the affected staff attended the conference while another N900,000 was paid to a consultant without deducting the necessary taxes in line with government financial regulations
The committee directed the commission to liaise with the affected consultant to refund the N90,000 involved immediately through the medium he was paid failure which, the official who authorised the payment should be made to payback the amount immediately.
It was also discovered that 151 payment vouchers amounting to N128 million made by the commission could not be traced as at the time a team of auditors from the office of the Auditor General of the Federation visited the commission.
