Reps fume, orders ministries to return N85bn Covid-19 fund

Tamarauemi Ebimini

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has ordered the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investments to refund N75bn allocated to it as COVID-19 intervention funds.

The committee also mandated the Federal Ministry of Health to return N10bn meant for the production of COVID-19 vaccines but which was not spent, back to the Federal Government.

It further directed the Director General of the Rural Electrification Agency, Salihijo Ahmed to submit documents detailing the utilisation of the agency’s COVID-19 Intervention funds.

Ahmed however, pleaded with the lawmakers for more time to submit relevant documents.

The decisions were sequel to a motion moved by Bassey Akiba, a member of the Labour Party from Cross River State, following the non-appearance of officials of the ministry at its investigative hearing on Thursday.

The committee had invited 59 Ministries, Departments and Agencies to appear before it for the commencement of an investigative hearing on the alleged mismanagement of the funds meant to tackle the global health pandemic known as coronavirus.

At the commencement of the sitting, Akiba moved the motion to compel the ministry to refund the monies appropriated to it.

The panel adopted the motion after it was seconded and directed that the ministry refund the said funds to the coffers of the Federal Government.

In his earlier remark, the Chairman of the Committee, Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun State) lamented that despite the series of invitations extended to the Ministry, its officials failed to show up

Salam said, “The Federal Ministry of Trade, Industries and Investments got the sum of N75bn as COVID-19 Intervention funds. The Public Account Committee has sent invitations to the Ministry of Trade Industries and Investments three times, and none of the invitations was honoured.

“Former Permanent Secretary and the current Permanent Secretary are affected by this motion to refund the sum of N75bn back to the Federal Government as COVID-19 intervention funds which as far as we are concerned,has not been expended.”

The Federal Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachallom however informed the Committee that the funds were domiciled with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

The committee however directed that the money should be returned, stressing that the Ministry may choose to reapply to the National Assembly for the money if it is still needed.