How NBET spent N132m on drivers’ uniforms, ghost training -Senate
By Olugbenga Salami
Senate has exposed the N132, 066, 948 spent by the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading, NBET on the purchase of uniforms for outsourced drivers and overseas training of staff, among others against the Presidential directive and without documentary evidence.
The upper legislative chamber, has therefore, ordered the agency to refund the whooping amount into the Consolidated Revenue Fund, CRF.
The revelation and directive followed the queries issued to that effect by the Auditor General for the Federation, AuGF in the 2015 Audit Report.
Breakdown of the N132million spent by the agency as contained in the queries shows N95.320million spent on overseas training for staff which never took place, N34.163mllion payments for unverifiable services and N2.583million for production of uniforms for the outsourced drivers.
The Senate Commitee on Public Accounts, chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide (PDP Edo South) sustained the queries and were adopted by the upper legislative chamber.
The queries read: “Payment of the sum of N34, 163, 948.00million without internal audit checking for unverifiable services in violation of extant Financial Regulations.
“Payment of N2, 583,000.00million to a contractor for production of Uniform of outsourced drivers who supposed to be kitted by their firm and not NBET.
“Expenditure of the sum of N95, 320,000.00million for overseas training of staff against Presidential directive and without documentary evidence.”
The Senate, in adopting the report as recommended by its Commitee on Public Accounts directed NBET to remit the purported N132million expenses back into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
Specifically, on the N2.583million expended on uniforms for outsourced drivers, the Senate said: “Provision of uniform to outsourced drivers is illegal. The contractor is supposed to provide uniforms for his staff and not NBET.
“NBET should therefore refund the sum of N2.583million to the government coffers and evidence of refund submitted to the Senate Public Accounts Commitee in accordance with Financial Regulations 3102, 3103 and 3115.
“N95million purportedly expended on overseas training for staff between October and November 2014 which was in violation of Presidential directive of February 2014 and which has no documentary evidence should be refunded into the CRF.
“Unpre-audited payment of N34.163million for unverifiable services should also be refunded into the CRF.
“The Accounting Officer who authorised the payment be removed from his/her schedule according to Rule 3115 of the Financial Regulation for contravening the provision of Financial Regulation 1705 and evidence of compliance should be forwarded to the Auditor General as well as the Senate Public Accounts Committee.”
