The Senate has urged Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), is to refund the sum of N132,066,948.00 million, spent on drivers uniforms, overseas training and others into the Consolidated Revenue Fund ( CRF).
The development was sequel to a directive by the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, inline with a 2015 Audit Report from the office of the Auditor General of Federation .
According to the query, the N132million comprises N95.320million spent on ‘phantom’ overseas training for staff, N34.163mllion payments for unverifiable services and N2.583million spent for production of Uniforms for outsourced drivers .
On the N2.583million expended on Uniforms for outsourced drivers, the Senate noted that “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 government coffers and evidence of refund submitted to the Senate Public Accounts Committee in accordance with Financial Regulations 3102, 3103 and 3115.
“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 report revealed.
The Senate in adopting the recommended report by its Committee on Public Accounts, directed NBET to remit the purported N132million expenses into the Consolidated Revenue Fund ( CRV) .
The Senate added:”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 authorized 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.”
