Senate uncovers abuse of N3.8tr Service Wide Vote by MDAs
By Tunde Opalana & HARUNA SALAMI
The Senate has uncovered how Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government have abused Service Wide Votes (SWV) of about N3.8 trillion between 2017- 2021.
The discovery followed an investigation carried out by its standing committee.
The Senate 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.
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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 hundreds 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 and vote book.
Senate therefore urged that the Executive should limit the release of Service Wide Vote to recurrent emergencies or shortfall genuinely desired with satisfactory proof.
The parliament also recommended in-depth investigation into depth the operations of IPPIS to stern the rising cases of irregularities in the system.
Meanwhile the Senate at plenary on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to immortalise the founder of AIT/Raypower, High Chief Raymond Aleogho Dokpesi, Ezomo of Weppa-Wanno Kingdom, Edo State.
This is as senators took turn to pay glowing tributes to late media mogul.
The lawmakers observed a minute silence in honour of late Dokpesi and resolved to send a delegation to pay a condolence visit to the family.
The late Dokpesi died on May 29, 2023, in an hospital in Abuja after a brief illness.
