Senate Uncovers how MDAs abused N3.8 trillion Service Wide Votes

…as State House,  INEC, Finance,82  agencies shun investigation

…asks Executive to scarp SWV 

By Adekunle Adesuji

Senate has uncovered how Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of government have abused Service Wide Votes (SWV) of about N3.8 trillion between 2017- 2021 investigated by its standing committee.

The Senate also asked the Executive to use supplementary budget approach to meet emergencies instead of Service Wide Vote.

According to the report, The Executive should be advised to use Supplementary budget approach to meet emergencies or shortfall rather than the current Service Wide Vote mechanism which amounts to affront /erosion of the approval powers of the National Assembly.

The Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee chaired by Senator Matthew Uhroghide had conducted investigation into disbursement of Service Wide Votes.

The Committee invited 207 government agencies for the investigation, but only 119 agencies appeared before the committee while 85 agencies shunned the invitations of the Committee.

Among the agencies that shunned the Committee investigation were State House,  Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),  Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  Ministry of Petroleum Resources, , Nigeria Defence Academy,  Federal Ministry of Health,  Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria.

In the report submitted  by the Committee which was upheld by the Senate, some agencies did not make formal request for the money that was sent to them by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.

It was also discovered that hundred of billions were claimed to have been used for the purpose of paying salaries shortfalls whereas  such agencies had already collected appropriate for personnel emoluments and were IPPIS platform.

The Senate further discovered that MDAs have not been disclosing Service Wide Votes transaction documents such as payment vouchers,  vote book.

Senate therefore urged the Executive should limit the release of Service Wide Vote to recurrent emergencies or shortfall genuinely desired with satisfactory proof.

The also recommended in-depth investigation into depth the operations of IPPIS to stern the rising cases of irregularities in the system.