We don't have records of N7.5bn 'secret withdrawal', Finance Ministry tells Senate

The Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning, yesterday said it was not in possession of documents on the alleged secret withdrawal of N7.5bn from the account of the National Automotive Council Design and Development Council.

The ministry's permanent secretary, Aliyu Ahmed, disclosed this while appearing before members of Senate Committee on Public Accounts.

The panel had summoned the officials of the Finance ministry, Office of Accountant-General of the Federation and Office of National Security Adviser to give explanation on alleged secret withdrawal of N7.5bn from the 2 percent NADDC Levy Account domiciled with Central Bank of Nigeria.

The permanent secretary, represented by a director in the ministry, Teslim Akintoye, said: "We don't have any document to show for that transaction."

His submission did not go down well with members of the Senate panel, whose chair, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, countered that the approval for the withdrawal was done in the ministry.

The Office of AccountantGeneral

of Federation, represented by Alex Adeyemi, however, confirmed that the money in question was released and would be recovered through budgetary process.

Adeyemi, however, failed to present the list of beneficiaries of the fund in question, a part of which was given as car loans to security officers.

The committee resolved to dig deeper into the fund.

Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State, flanked by the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, left and his brother, the Emir of Bichi, Alhaji Nasiru Ado Bayero when the Governor consoled with them over the death of their mother, at the Kano Emir’s palace yesterday.