Reps give AGF 72-hour ultimatum to submit N100b COVID-19 intervention fund report

.Move to probe N200b spent on postponed 2023 census

The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Oluwatoyin Madein, has been given 72 hours to submit detailed report on the utilisation of the N100 billion COVID-19 intervention funds released by former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) between 2020 and 2022.

Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, Bamidele Salam (PDP-Osun), who gave the ultimatum in Abuja, yesterday, frowned on the AGF’s refusal to comply with the resolution of the committee to submit the report on October 27, 2023.

Salam said the House had mandated the committee to investigate the “expenditure incurred under the COVID-19 interventions.”

He, therefore, directed the AGF to transmit the report before the close of work tomorrow, November 3, 2023.

The resolution was passed sequel to the adoption of a motion on the ‘alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds approved by the Federal Government for various MDAs between 2020 and 2022.

While leading the debate on the motion, Nyampa Dauda Zakari lamented that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the loss of lives, jobs and economic opportunities for millions of homes in different parts of the world, including Nigeria.

In his contribution, Ahmed Jaha, who commended the spirit of the motion, lamented that the amount expended in combatting COVID-19 in Nigeria was humongous and could have easily done much more for each local council in Nigeria.

He urged the House to investigate the issue thoroughly.

Also, the House has resolved to investigate the money expended on the postponed 2023 population and housing census by the National Population Commission (NPC), which amounted to N200 billion.

It said the NPC had admitted to having spent N200 billion as part of the N800 billion budgeted for the 2023 population and housing census, which was postponed.

This followed the adoption of a motion moved by Dominic Okafor from Anambra State and Patrick Umoh from Akwa Ibom State at plenary.

Okafor expressed worry that the data collected in the 2006 population census was far from reality in 2023 and could not validly form a solid base for the formation of national economic policies that would aid the Federal Government in administering viable national planning.