BUSTED: Buhari’s N28 billion for distressed missions was mismanaged by the Foreign Affairs Ministry

According to SaharaReporters, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wasted $68 million (about N28 billion) released by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2018 for payout to some of the country’s foreign missions.

According to a government audit report obtained by SaharaReporters, the Ministry’s Permanent Secretary has now been ordered to explain how the allegedly misappropriated monies were paid to the missions.

These are featured in the Auditor-General of the Federation of Nigeria’s Accounts Annual Report for the year ending December 31, 2018.

According to the Auditor-report, General’s when questions about how $68 million was disbursed were forwarded to the ministry, no responses were received.

“Issue 1 – Lack of Accountability in the Disbursement of Intervention Fund for Distressed Missions – $68,875,902,” according to the study. “The Federal Government compels all officers responsible for expenditure to exercise reasonable economy,” according to Financial Regulations No. 415. Money should not be spent only on the basis of a vote.

“Audit investigation of the Ministry’s accounting records revealed that the President approved a total of US $68,875,902 as intervention money for distressed Nigerian embassies abroad. The cash, which was divided into three parts – USD32,873,896.68, USD28,810,217.80, and USD7,191,787.52 – was intended to solve issues such as mission debts, mission chancery reconstruction and refurbishing, and mission indebtedness.

“A detailed examination of the Ministry’s accounting records, however, revealed the following anomalies: one, the sum of N268,814,121.20 was diverted from the first tranche of the intervention fund and spent on ‘exigencies and sundry items,’ part of which N101,230,676.95 was for bank charges on remittance of funds by the Central Bank, according to the documents presented by the Ministry.

“No explanation was given, and no documentation was released to show how the remaining N167,583,444.25 was spent. Two, documentation documenting the release of the second tranche of USD28,810,217.80 was not supplied, including distribution breakdowns of funds to recipient missions, spending returns for money received, and requests for settlements of debts from missions.”

The study noted that fines should apply to the ministry since it failed to submit the paperwork to indicate that it allocated the monies appropriately.

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“Three, while requesting USD6,691,787.52 for the third tranche, the Ministry received clearance for USD7,191,787.52, which was eventually disbursed, leaving an excess of USD500,000.00.

The Ministry did, however, approve the transfer of the excess monies to the Nigerian Consulate-General in Dubai, which was not originally on the list of missions in need of assistance.

“The issue was communicated to the Permanent Secretary via Management Letter Ref No. OAuGF/MAD/AI/2017/Vol.1/1 on May 8, 2019, followed by two reminders via Reference No. OAuGF/MAD/AI/2017/Vol.1/1b and OAuGF/MAD/AI/2017/Vol.1/1c dated July 3rd and August 22nd, 2019. At the time of our complaint, we had not received a reaction from management.

“The Permanent Secretary must answer in detail for how the sum of USD68,875,902.00 was distributed to the beneficiary missions, failing which consequences would be imposed.”