Reps order EFCC, ICPC to quiz 2 former perm secs over N3.201bn

The Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Related Offences Commission (IPCC) to invite two former Permanent Secretaries for questing over N3.201 billion financial institutions while in office.

The affected former Permanent Secretaries are Williams Alo and Yerima Tafa, all of the Federal Ministry of Labour.

Chairman of the Committee, Bamidele Salam in announcing the resolution on Monday said the Committee has written seven different letters to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment to appear before the committee without any response

He therefore condemned the increasing disregard for the parliament by Ministries, Department and Agencies of government.

According to him, the Ministry also failed to provide the relevant documents needed to clear them of the 32 audit queries against them from the 2020 audit report, adding that while the Auditor General of the Federation made specific recommendations, the Committee decided to write the Ministry, giving them an opportunity to defend themselves.

“Several other MDAs have cultivated the habit of ignoring parliamentary summon to account for public fund appropriated by the National Assembly and given to them, adding the the Nigerian public have in recent time call out the National Assembly for not carrying out adequate oversight.

“Williams Alo and Yerima Tafa who were the Permanent Secretaries in the Ministry (Labour) when the infraction took place should be held liable for the infraction since they were the accounting officers in the ministry”, Salam submitted.

He however gave Permanent Secretaries in the Federal ministries of Transportation, Women Affairs and Humanitarian Services, Adeleye Ayodeji, Mariam Keshero and Yakubu Adams Kofamata respectively 72 hours to appear before the committee.