Nigerian senate summons ministry, others over N7.5bn withdrawal

Nigerian Ministry of Finance, Office of Accountant General of the Federation and Office of National Security Adviser have a date with the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Tuesday, May 4, 2021.

They are expected to explain the alleged secret withdrawal of N7.5bn from the National Automotive Council Design and Development Council Levy Account domiciled with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

The Senate committee summoned them based on the query by the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation in 2015.

Two weeks ago, the committee had summoned the affected agencies to explain the alleged secret withdrawal, but they did not honour the invitation.

Presenting the details of the withdrawal before the committee on Wednesday, the Director-General of NADDC, Jelani Tukur, said the agency had already written to the Finance, Budget and National Planning, Mrs Zainab Ahmed; and Accountant General of the Federation, Mr Ahmed Idris, on the withdrawal of N3.7bn as loan to NAFCON, N3.8bn for security personnel car loan scheme, and N2.3bn as loan to Steyrs Nigeria Limited.

Tukur added that the agency had also written to remind Niger Insurance of the agreement reached on July 9, 2020, as ordered by the committee. The first letters were written to the finance minister and the accountant-general on April 23, 2021, and delivered on April 26. The second was written to the minister on April 26 and delivered on April 26. That of the accountant was delivered on April 26.

According to the committee chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide, all parties involved in the transaction must be present next Tuesday to assure the committee that the money would be returned to the NADDC account domiciled in CBN.

Urhoghide urged the agencies to take along with them evidence of the withdrawal approval and threatened to sanction any agency that failed to appear.

“The transaction was carried out by the Presidency, in collaboration with the Bank of Industry, the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Accountant-General of the Federation, without the involvement of NAC, the account owner,” stated.