The independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it’s uncovered gross abuse of personnel budget and inflation as well as padding of nominal role by some Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) amounting to N18.62 billion.
Chairman of the ICPC, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, made the revealing at the National Summit on diminishing Corruption within the Public Sector and presentation of integrity awards, organized by the workplace of the Secretary to the govt. of the Federation in collaboration with ICPC, in Abuja on Tuesday, Nov nineteenth.
According to him, the discovery of the scam followed the launching of the commission System Study and Review of MDA Practices, involving over three hundred MDAs.
He said: “as at the time we tend to went to press we tend to had coated concerning three hundred MDAs and also the amount inflated was about N12billion. As at nowadays your Excellency we have discovered further N6b making a complete of N18.624b restrained by ICPC.
“The exercise remains current however we will able to} with confidence report that culprit MDAs are principally academic and health institutions. for example, preliminary findings show the subsequent –
“University of Benin Teaching Hospital N1.1billion; Federal medical center, Bayelsa N915million; Nnamdi Azikwe University N907million; University of Jos N896million; University college Hospital Ibadan N701million; Usman Dan Fodio University N636million and University of Ibadan N558million.
“These establishments and every one those concerned are given the chance to explain themselves however, while investigations are on to verify any credible explanations they may have, we have alerted the Minister of Finance of our findings and acceptable steps square measure being taken to make sure that concerned MDAs won’t be ready to pay the surplus designed into their personnel budget.
“Let ME note with regret sir that within the 2017-2018 yr the balances recorded for personnel were legally utilised by MDAs for alternative functions thanks to lack of proactivity by late enforcement and connected agencies. That total amounted to N18.39b.’’
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In light-weight of those findings, the ICPC Chairman stressed the necessity for full implementation of the directive that MDAs not on IPPIS mustn’t be paid as the commission’s review had shown that the majority of the guilty MDAS weren’t on IPPIS.
He added: “In an identical vein, we tend to found that some MDAs spent N9.2billion of capital funds on overhead connected things contrary to existing monetary laws. we tend to found to our surprise that some MDAs fail to remit tax and divert pension and NHIS deductions for unrelated payments therefore exasperating the sufferings of other Nigerians.
“Some MDAs abused the e-payment policy of presidency thus creating payments through employees accounts rather than to actual beneficiaries. Most egregious within the current cycle of review is that the Federal Ministry of Water Resources wherever N3.3billion was paid call at a few month through the accounts of employees. ICPC inactive fifty nine administrators from the ministry and investigation is current.’’
