House Of Reps Asks EFCC To Prosecute NHIS, NIMASA, Others

The House of Representatives committee on public accounts has recommended the prosecution of former and serving management staff of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal government for failing to render audited accounts.

The committee has also asked several MDAs to refund monies given to them the Federal Government for failing to render accounts.

The report by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation presented to the lower legislative chamber covering 2014 to 2018, had indicted many MDAs and officials.

The committee had held investigative hearings on the audit queries and laid report before the House for consideration.

In the report prepared by the committee, the Nigeria Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) was said to have only rendered 2014 audited accounts to the auditor-general for the past 5 years while it had to remit its accounts from 2015 to 2018.

The committee stated, “The reckless refusal by the management of the agency to render accounts for their stewardship for the past 5 years is despicable and is a violation of section 85(3) (b) of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution”.

“All those in office that we’re responsible should be disciplined and referred to the EFCC to refund all Monroe’s received by them from the government for the period of 2015-2019 to the treasury in line with FR 3129 of 2009.”

In the case of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund, the committee said the auditor-general confirmed that the Fund last rendered its audited account in 2005, leaving 2006 to 2018 still outstanding.

“The committee frowned at this worrisome attitude of the Fund for refusing to render its audited accounts for the last 13 years, yet benefited from the federal treasury. All directors-generals of the Fund and their DFAs as well as various external auditors from 2006 till now should be handed over to the EFCC, in line with FR No, 3129, for further prosecution to compel them to refund all money received and misused by the officers.”

The committee hinted that the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) had not rendered its audited accounts for the past 13 years.

Similarly, the Federal Housing Authority(FHA), according to the committee, last submitted its audited account in 2003.

For the Nigerian Communications Satellite NIGCOMSAT Limited, the 2014 and 2015 accounts’ letters of conveyance to auditor-general were not seen, according to the committee, while only one person signed the 2015 audited account and the other person did not sign.

The committee added that the 2016 audited account was not tendered but that of 2017 was. Stressing that NIGCOMSAT rendered the accounts for 2017 and 2018 but there was no evidence of rendition for 2014 to 2016.

Similarly, the committee indicted the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission(ICRC), noting that the director-general of the ICRC attested that the commission had remitted the 2014 to 2018 audited accounts when he assumed office in 2017.