The Senate has directed the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), to refund the sum of N132, 066, 948.00 million diverted for drivers Uniforms, nonexistent overseas training and so on into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
The upper legislative chamber’s directive was coming based on queries issued to that effect by the Auditor General of the Federation in the 2015 Audit Report.
The N132million as stated in the queries , sustained by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts and adopted by the Upper Legislative Chamber, is made up of N95.320million spent on overseas training for staff which never took place, N34.163mllion payments for unverifiable services and N2.583million spent for production of Uniforms for outsourced drivers.
The queries read, ” Payment of the sum of N34, 163,948.00million without internal audit checking for unverifiable services in violation of extant Financial Regulations.
“Payment of N2, 583,000.00million to a contractor for production of Uniform of outsourced drivers who supposed to be kitted by their firm and not NBET.
” Expenditure of the sum of N95, 320,000.00million for overseas training of Staff against Presidential directive and without documentary evidence “
The Senate in adopting the report as recommended by its Committee on Public Accounts, directed NBET to remit the purported N132million expenses back into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRV).
Specifically, on the N2.583million expended on Uniforms for outsourced drivers, the Senate said: ” Provision of Uniform to outsourced drivers is illegal . The contractor is supposed to provide uniforms for his staff and not NBET.
”NBET should therefore refund the sum of N2.583million to government coffers and evidence of refund submitted to the Senate Public Accounts Committee in accordance with Financial Regulations 3102, 3103 and 3115.
”N95million purportedly expended on overseas training for Staff between October and November 2014 which was in violation of Presidential directive of February 2014 and which has no documentary evidence , should be refunded into the CRF .
”Unpre-audited payment of N34.163million for unverifiable services should also be refunded into the CRF .
”The Accounting Officer who authorized the payment be removed from his /her schedule according to Rule 3115 of the Financial Regulation for contravening the provision of Financial Regulation 1705 and evidence of compliance should be forwarded to the Auditor General as well as the Senate Public Accounts Committee “.
