…As Boboye says Nigeria learnt a lot from #EndSARS protests***
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Account began Thursday, in Abuja, the move to unearth utilisation of $125 million, borrowed from the World Bank by the Federal Government.
Rep. Wole Oke, Chairman of the committee, ordered signatories to the account of the Office of Auditor-General of the Federation (OAUGF) to appear before it to ascertain the utilisation.
The committee also summoned the Director-General of the Budget Office of the Federation, Mr Ben Akabueze, to explain the loans.
The committee also asked him to explain the grant amounting to 125 million dollars it collected from the World Bank, an amount that was not captured in the 2018 Appropriation Act.
Oke directed all collaborating Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to appear before the committee.
The committee asked Akabueze to explain whether the office had access to the 36.1 million dollars through loans and grants in four years, adding that 200,000 dollars was disbursed to the OAUGF.
He said the document presented before the committee showed the list of beneficiaries of the loan, of which OAUGF was among, adding that the $125 million was the total sum of loans received from the World Bank.
He further explained that 36.1 million dollars was the loan component while 1.2 million dollars was for grant, adding that the loan could also be spent on capital projects.
Akabueze said that the World Bank loans and grants were captured in the 2018 appropriations Act, stating that the Accountant-General of the Federation was aware of the World Bank loan.
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Oke, however, urged the Clerk to write to the auditor-general’s office to furnish it with relevant documents concerning the World Bank loan.
Earlier, the Director of Fund, Accountant-General’s Office, Sabo Mohammed, said the office did not receive the document apart from the committee’s letter requesting details of the 36.1 million dollars World Bank loan given to the auditor-general’s office.
Mohammed pleaded with the committee to give more time to enable the office to provide the required documents adding that as far as the office was concerned the money had not been accessed.
The committee, however, resolved that the accountant-general appeared before it to provide all relevant documents and explain issues surrounding the utilisation of the loan.
In another development, Dr. Boboye Oyeyemi, Corps Marshall Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), says the nation has learnt a lot from the October #EndSars protests during which lives and property were lost.
Oyeyemi made the remark on Thursday in Asaba, shortly after he inspected the FRSC annex office along the Onitsha-Asaba expressway which was razed by hoodlums on Oct. 21 during the protest.
He, however, said that the commission would not be deterred from carrying out its statutory duties in spite the ugly incident.
“A lot of lessons have been learnt, but we are back on the road. We have to do our work.
“What happened here and across the nation during the protest is quite unfortunate. But we have to move on.
“During the nationwide protests, the FRSC lost about 27 operational vehicles, while about 14 others were vandalised by hoodlums,” Oyeyemi said.
The Corps Marshall disclosed that the FRSC and the Delta Government planned to rebuild the rented burnt property.
He said he earlier spoke with Gov. Ifeanyi Okowa after the property was razed, and the governor assured him of the state government’s support in rebuilding the property.
“As you can see, the whole place has been razed. We have to fix it back. The building is a rented property,” Oyeyemi said.
The Corps Marshall was accompanied on the tour by the Corps Public Education Officer, Mr Bisi Kazeem and the FRSC Delta Sector Commander, Mr. Uchechukwu Wihioka.
