House Of Representatives Orders Prompt Refund Of N1.48 Billion COVID-19 Relief Funds By Federal Fire Service

House Of Representatives Orders Prompt Refund Of N1.48 Billion COVID-19 Relief Funds By Federal Fire Service

The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives has directed the Federal Fire Service to swiftly return the sum of N1.48 billion to the Federation Account within a week. This amount represents intervention funds allocated for the COVID-19 health epidemic, for which the Fire Service has failed to provide a proper account…..CONTINUE READING

Led by Bamidele Salam, the committee issued this directive after the Federal Fire Service neglected to appear for an investigative hearing for the third consecutive time. Jeremiah Umar, the Deputy Chairman of the committee, moved a motion advocating for the refund, emphasizing the importance of accountability.

Umar asserted that since the Fire Service couldn’t clarify the controversies surrounding its COVID-19 expenditure, the appropriate action was to refund the N1.48 billion received in 2020.

Simultaneously, the committee extended fresh invitations to various defaulting ministries, departments, and agencies of the Federal Government, urging them to address queries from the Auditor General of the Federation related to the allocation of billions of naira as COVID-19 intervention funds.

Among the invited entities are the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs through the National Centre for Women Development, the National Centre for Disease Control, and the Federal Ministry of Health.

Bamidele Salam expressed dismay over the Federal Fire Service’s repeated failure to respond to the committee’s summons, noting that the affected ministries and agencies had been given one week to appear or face sanctions.

Salam emphasized the consequences of non-compliance, stating that failure to provide a satisfactory reply to an audit query within seven days could lead to officers being surcharged for the full amount involved and handed over to either the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission or the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission. Salam highlighted that the committee had multiple assignments beyond the COVID-19 probe and emphasized the need to address various responsibilities promptly.