N9.7bn disbursed for 32 projects in 17 states, FCT unaccounted for - report

L-R:. Tomi Coker, commissioner for health, Ogun State; Bamidele Abiodun, Ogun State first lady; Bolanle Oluomo, wife of the speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, and Funmi Efuwape, commissioner for women affairs, Ogun State, at the flag off of free breast and cervical screening for women in Abeokuta, yesterday.

Over N9.7 billion disbursed for the implementation of 32 projects in 17 states in Nigeria and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) is yet to be accounted for, findings on the latest 2017 audit report from the Office of the Auditor-general of the Federation, (OAGF), has shown.

Olusegun Elemo, executive director of Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), a CSO, while analysing the 2017 audit report in Abuja on Thursday, said N17 billion was disbursed for the implementation of the projects, but various contracts were unexecuted, others abandoned and the said sum could not be accounted for.

The states where the contracts were awarded include

Bayelsa, Enugu, Gombe, Kano, Jigawa, Niger, Cross Rivers, Kebbi, Anambra, Delta, Ondo, Imo, Plateau, Kaduna, Oyo, and Ebonyi states.

Some of the contracts awarded includes the construction of health facilities, class rooms, roads, including hostels at the University of Abuja, University of Birninkebbi, University of Dutse, Federal College of Education Umunze, University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun; University of Owerri, University of Technology, Akure; and University of Ibadan.

Others are Nigerian Port Authority, National Examination Commission (NECO), Teachers Registration Council, Kano State SUBEB, among several others.

Elemo, speaking at a oneday workshop supported by the Open Society for West Africa (OSIWA), said the unaccounted funds when compared to similar publication on 2016 Audit Report of the federation showed an increase of N6.8 billion (70.1 percent).

According to him, this is an indication that the level of accountability in the country is worsening.

Elemo stressed that Nigerians must commit to ensuring that public funds are not just spent but also properly accounted for, while noting that the lack of accountability was the foundation of all problems in the country.

“Are you aware that President Muhammadu Buhari laid before the National Assembly last Thursday the 2021 budget estimate of more than N13 trillion and nobody is asking the big question of how do we ensure that this huge funds is efficiently, effectively and economically utilised?

“What justification do we have to continue to spend without adequate audit mechanism? How do we use a 1956 Audit Act to evaluate a 2020 budget? It is completely unreasonable and that is where the problem is. The lack of accountability,” he said.

Elemo further advocated the empowerment of the office of the auditor-general of the federation to effectively play the role of ensuring that public funds begin to work for citizens.

Elemo also called for efforts to ensure that the OAGF is not subject to the control of any authority as enshrined in the 1999 constitution.

He assured that the civic organisation will continue to work closely with relevant agencies to ensure accountability in all areas.