Dirisu Yakubu The House of Representatives says it has uncovered mismanagement and discrepancies in the disbursement of funds earmarked for COVID-19. During a plenary session on Tuesday, the lawmakers received a report from the Public Accounts Committee on the investigation into the disbursement and management of the funds. While laying the report during the session presided over by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, the Chairman of the Committee, Bamidele Salam, said the report covered the period between 2020 and 2022, during which the committee invited 92 ministries, departments, and agencies.
The investigation followed a motion debated in plenary on October 17, 2023, alleging mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds. The Recalled Salam-led committee commenced the public hearing on November 27, 2023, and invited the concerned MDAs for questioning. The reports reveal a trail of mismanagement, non-compliance, and outright violations of procurement laws and financial regulations by various MDAs and private sector beneficiaries.
The report, which quoted records from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, gave a breakdown of inflows totalling N1.32 trillion. Out of the amount, the Nigerian equivalent of $3.
4 billion in donations by the International Monetary Fund as grants to the Federal Government stood at N1.28 trillion, while the Federal Government intervention stood at N34.4 billion.
The general donation amounted to N6.09bn, while the donation from the C.
