Senate issues 48 hours to Finance Permsec to appear over missing N113 million

The Permanent Secretary Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Finance has been handed down with 48 hours ultimatum to appear before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts with documents relating to disbursement of Service Wide Votes as well as missing N113 million on salary adjustment for Joint Admission Board Matriculation (JAMB) or risk warrant of arrest by next week.

The Permanent Secretary has severally snubbed the Senate Committee invitation after a letter of invitation was sent to him on 20th of October, 2022 and the letter was received on 21 October, 2022 for his appearance.

The Committee Chairman, Senator Mathew Uroghide said, funds to the of N113 million meant for JAMB staff, was missing in the Ministry.

The lawmaker also want the evasive Permanent Secretary to give details
of funds released to all MDAs including Police and Armed Forces.

Also, another letter was written to the Ministry on December 8, 2022, on the issue concerning missing N113 million of salary augmentation for Joint Admission Matriculation Board.
While the record from the office of Accountant General of the Federation, (AGF) indicated that the N113 million was released to JAMB in May 2017 for salary augmentation, the Ministry was invited to make clarification on the matter at stake at the Committee’s room on Tuesday but the Ministry officials failed appear.

The representative of JAMB, Director of Finance and Account, M. Bello claimed that the N113 million was not released to them arguing that if the money was released it would have cut across the whole year.

According to the Director of Finance, it will cut across all MDAs using CONLESS, if there is a shortfall in May, it will spread to the whole year.

Apparently piqued by the absence of the Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Finance, Senator Urhoghide gave the Permanent Secretary 48 hours to appear and provide the relevant documents to the Committee or face warrant of arrest by next week.

According to him, they have to appear before the Committee by Thursday this week, since JAMB has denied knowledge of that release, we want to interface with them in your presence (Cash Management Office has to come before this Committee) this payment was used to clear salary adjustment of 2017.
He added that failure of the Ministry’sPermanent Secretary to appear on Thursday will lead to warrant of arrest by next week.