By Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives yesterday expressed dismay over the insufficient and inadequate documents submitted before it by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investments over the alleged mismanagement of N75bn allocated to it as COVID-19 Intervention funds by the Federal Government.
The committee, chaired by Bamidele Salam (Osun-PDP) is currently probing Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government over the alleged massive mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds.
At the resumed hearing of the exercise in Abuja yesterday, the Committee chairman said the submission of the Ministry on the expenditure of the N75bn “is a worthless piece of document which doesn’t say anything.”
During its last meeting, the Committee ordered the Ministry, its immediate past, and the incumbent Permanent Secretaries to jointly refund the sum of N75bn allocated to it as COVID-19 intervention funds after the refusal of officials of the ministry to appear before the Committee to defend the expendables.
However, when the incumbent Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ambassador Nura Abba-Rimi, appeared before the Committee, he said that he only assumed office at the Ministry on January 21 this year.
He apologised for the failure of the ministry to appear before the Constitutional Committee three consecutive times to defend the expendables as requested.
At this point, a member of the Committee, Bassey Akiba, raised a point of order for entertaining the Ministry again after a decision had been taken over its matter and which has not been set aside.
“Mr Chairman, honourable colleagues, let us even look at the issue of whether or not we should listen to the ministry and that for me is very important, I am the mover of the motion that a refund should be made because for me it was a clear case of disregard for the Committee and National Assembly that is why I moved that motion.
“Having given that ministry this number of times to appear and they failed to appear, it shows clearly that the Ministry does not have anything to say about the expenditure of the money and that is why I moved that motion and it was duly seconded and the motion was passed by the committee and I am sure that if not because of the break that we had, that the house would’ve considered the position of the committee.
“Having come here this morning and saw the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Investment on our schedule, I think we are looking at other things outside COVID, maybe we are looking at issues concerning the Auditor-General’s queries on that ministry for a certain year.
“When I looked at the schedule this morning, it was still COVID, I don’t think it is proper, going by our practice that if the House has ruled on a matter that we need to bring it back again, maybe because of the magnanimity of the Chairman that he granted based on some reasons and you come.
“Again, there is a background here that the chamber has said before you appear to do a writing submission which again was abnormal for a matter that had been ruled over by the Committee, do a writing submission the chairman was just trying to be kind, let’s still give you fair hearing even when we have ruled.
“Honestly it should be something we need to discuss and consider whether or not we should receive any document or anything.”
In response, the Chairman of the Committee said, “Honourable colleagues, why I even allowed them to come at all was because at times in this assignment too, we have to look for a way of balancing interest.
“When the Permanent Secretary reached out to me and he told me he was barely a week in office, that was about two weeks ago and that he was hearing the matter for the very first time, even though I know by practice, he inherits all liabilities and assets and I thought on humans consideration that we should give him the benefit of the doubt, to come here and if he can convince the committee to listen to him, we listen to him, but like Chairman of Rules said by our rule when a motion has been taken and carried, there has to be a motion for rescind such a resolution, it is only when the motion is carried that we can review the decision.
“Honourable member, we need to be guided, I honestly do not think we should even take any motion to reseen that decision yet until they have properly submitted their records and defend because if they defend, we may still find a need to stand by that resolution.
“So, the only thing that I will just plead with the members if we agree, is for us to allow them to present their complete document, this does not satisfy the template you were given. It is a waterless piece of document, it doesn’t say anything.”
Consequently, the lawmakers unanimously resolved to allow the Ministry to resubmit a complete document within seven working days and ordered that the Managing Director of the Bank of Industry should be available in person on the next hearing date for the defence of the query.
