Audit Query: Reps C'ttee probes FCDA over non-remittance for 7 years

By Tom Okpe

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has commenced investigations into the financial activities of the Federal Capital Development Authority, (FCDA) following queries raised against it by office of the Auditor General of the federation for non-rendition of financial Accounts in seven years running as required by law of the Federation.

Following this development, the Committee, chaired by Rep Busayo Oluwole Oke summoned the current Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of FCDA, Mr Olusola Olusade, two retired Permanent Secretaries Sir Chinnyeaka Ohaa and Ajakaye along with two former Directors of Finance of the ministry for questioning on their failure to render financial accounts despite being paid their monthly salaries and allowances as public officers of the federation, DailyTimes gathered.

Speaking on the development when the Committee grilled the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Olusade who appeared along other top officials of the Ministry, the Committee Chairman, Oke described the action of the Ministry officials as gross violation of the Constitution of the land and against financial regulation which requires that audited accounts of Ministries, Departments and Agencies of the Federal Government must be submitted to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation at a particular time for transparency and accountability.

“This is disheartening and unheard of Mr Permanent Secretary, we have to summon your two predecessors in office, the Directors of Finance and others having something to do with this mess, they will come and tell Nigerians what’s responsible for their failures to carry out their assignments having received their annual salaries and other allowances from the federal government, failing to justify the money they collected

“Things cannot continue like this, as lawmakers we have to stop all these shortcomings for the nation to move forward, let them come and tell us what is responsible for the inefficiency, negligence, or is it because of manpower, we must hold some people responsible for the gross violation of the laws of the land, Nigeria is not a Banana Republic where anything goes.”

In his defence which the committee countered as defective since government is continuous, the Permanent Secretary, Olusade admitted that the FCDA erred for not rendering the audited accounts to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation as required but said that the anomaly was already being addressed since he came into the office.

He added that the audited account had been submitted up to 2019 and that remittance for 2020 was almost ready for submission, which the Representative of the office of the Auditor General also countered, saying that there was no record to that effect but promised to cross check and report back to the Committee.

A motion earlier moved by a member of the Committee to place the Ministry on a status of enquiry because of the magnitude infractions in the Ministry’s submission was stepped down to allow for submission from the Ministry on their claims.

However, the committee resolved to embark on projects claimed to have executed by the Ministry to check value for money expended on the projects.