**Summon MD Galaxybackbone over N98.7 M Contract.
From Jonas Ezieke, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday grilled two Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry of Finance Mr Aliyu Ahmed and Permanent Secretary Special Duties Mr. Aliyu Shehu Shagari over the unauthorized payment of N2, 088, 771.81 billion from the Federation Account from the Service Wide Vote.
Chairman of the House Committee Hon. Oluwoke Oke had told the duo that there were five queries raised by the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation AuGF on the the Auditor-General’s audit of the federation account managed by the Ministry.
According to him, a whooping sum of N2, 088,771.81 was released by the Ministry of Finance from the federation account in 2017 without authorization by the relevant ministry officials against the provision of the laws.
He also said that there was another payment of N98.7 million by the officers to consultants and contractors to ministry without due process and another N28 million unsubstantiated retirement expenditure paid by the ministry.
He told the Permanent Secretariies and other Ministry officials that the payments were in contravention of extant financial regulations that it was beyond the threshold allowed the Minister of Finance adding that they should account for it.
Other lawmakers notably Hon. Bulus Maren (Plateau, PDP) and Hon. Mark Gbillah (Benue, PDP) also pointed out that the payments were above the threshold allowed the Minister of Finance by law and demanded they refund the money to the treasury.
However, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Finance Mr. Aliyu Ahmed had told the lawmakers that the payments were made to some international organisation in tranches in accordance with the provisions of the laws.
He further said that the N2.8bn was paid to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation and there there were some memos detailing the payments with dates that were raised in the relevant offices of the finance ministry.
On the query on the award of N98.5 million without due process, he said that there was approval of the contract by a Ministerial Tenders Board and that the contract followed due process.
On the payment from the Service Wide Vote, he said that the payment were routine payment that were made to some international organizations adding that such payments were no governed by the Public Procurement Act.
Nontheless, the Committee Chairman in his ruling summoned the Managing Director of Galaxybackbone Ltd one of the contractors to appear unfailingly to shed lights on its role on the contract award.
The lawmaker however absolved the ministry officials of four out of the five audit queries and charge them to be more prudent.
