Some audit documents from the Auditor-General of the Federation have revealed that the Federal Ministry of Justice, under the supervision of the Attorney-General of the Federation Abubakar Malami, approved N35million for officials to attend a virtual conference in 2019.
The document which was signed by the country’s Auditor-General, Aghughu Adolphus, disclosed that the money was raised in 12 vouchers ahead of the said conference.
One of the vouchers with No. Cap/014/19 dated 24/4/19 amounted to N30million was raised as a cash advance to an undisclosed officer of the Ministry of Justice.
He said that the retirement papers of the money revealed the conference was a virtual meeting, even in the 2019 financial year.
Adolphus noted that the remaining amount of the N35million was raised to cover air tickets, boot camp registration, servicing of monthly meetings, workshop fees, and conferences.
He noted that the officers that attended the programme were mainly from South-South states of the country, while other participants were from different agencies.
The Auditor-General noted further that receipts for retirement from hotels were altered at the date columns such as the Le Meridien Hotel and Golf Resort in Uyo for N13million, Ogbolosing Transport Company Nig. Ltd. for car hiring amounting to N160,000 with no destinations and MC Print Ventures for N60,000.
All of these, the Auditor-General said, raised doubts as to the genuineness of the retirement particulars.
Another sum of N11.9million was paid to 184 officers from the South-South states as transportation subsidy.
An additional N8.3million was paid to them as accommodation subsidy.
The Auditor-General said the payments “contravened extant rules on DTAs of public officers in the civil service, and the above payments were made as if all the officers are on the same grade levels to collect the same amounts in terms of distance and DTAs.”
The Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary of the Justice Ministry we’re directed to furnish reasons for payment of allowances for conference that was held virtually and payment to officers of another agencies.
They were also directed to account for the sum of N35.7million and transferred from capital vote to finance overhead expenditure.
Sahara Reporters
