MDGs office denies diverting contractors’ funds

The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Millennium Development Goals (OSSAP-MDGs) has denied allegations of diversion of funds, embezzlement and misappropriation of funds meant for the payment of debts as alleged by some contractors reportedly being owed by the office.

The contractors, through their counsel, Victor Giwa had raised the allegations in an open letter written to President Muhammadu Buhari and which was also re-echoed during a protest in Abuja on Tuesday.

A statement by the media consultant to OSSAP-MDGs, Desmond Utomwen, said the management claimed that no money has been diverted or tampered with as alleged and that the allegation by the contractors.

He said claims that funds budgeted for settlement of past contractual commitments is being diverted for the execution of fresh contracts is untrue and portrays their ignorance as to the workings of government financial procedures.

He said the demand by the contractors that money should be vired from other budgetary subheads to settle their old obligations is not within the competence of the office as this requires the authorization from the National Assembly.

He said the office has not received cash-backing for the second quarter release as alleged, adding that only the first quarter has been released and over N2 billion out of that has been used to settle past contractual commitments.