House C’ttee Orders Public Complaints Commission to Refund N27m to Federation Account

James Emejo in Abuja

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts (PAC)  thursday directed the management of the Public Complaints Commission (PCC) to refund the sum N20 million into the Consolidated Fund (CRF) following its inability to justify expenditures.

The committee, chaired by Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), further ruled that two companies- Ore-Ayo Global Services and Yabri Njem Enterprises which affected case evaluation valued at worth N12 and N10million respectively for the commission should appear before it to show proof of tender and evidence of evaluation carried out.

The committee also directed the management of the commission to remove some officers ‎alleged to have played roles in a certain oversea training exercise during which bogus amounts were claimed as pocket expenses.

Chinda handed the ruling during a session with management officers of the PCC led by its new Executive Secretary, Mr. Mohammed Bala Abdul, following queries against the commission by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation (AuGF).
The AuGF had written the House noting that the sum of N1,258,577.50 being revenue collected from Tenders Board, Auction sales and other sources of government revenue from January to December 2014 was paid to a bank on January 13, 2015 with no evidence to show that the said money was remitted to government treasury.

It also noted that a contract sum of N12 million was paid in favour of a company on a payment voucher dated September 23, 2014 and another N10 million in favour of another company on the same date for the purpose of evaluation of investigated cases.
The AuGF said since detail of the cases were not disclosed to confirm the authenticity ‎of the transactions on demand, the House Committee should compel the commission to refund the sum of N22million and return same to the treasury.

On the query regarding the payment of over N3.5million to 10 staffers who purportedly attended a training programme titled “sharpen your teeth” in Lusaka, Zambia, the AuGF noted that the purported beneficiaries contained in the composite vouchers did not sign to acknowledge reciept of the monies, contrary to financial rules.

The query stated: “Also, the materials claimed to have been bought could not be traced in any record, neither were the purchased store items captured on store ledger charge, hence were not accounted for.”

Responding, Abdul however, told the committee that having just being briefed of the query‎ and considering that he assumed office as head of the commission, he would require some time to gather more facts about the said transaction and communicate his team’s position to it.

Ruling on the queries, the committee therefore held that ‎the documents produced by the commission are made just for the purpose of the queries, but restrained itself from referring the documents to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for forensic investigation.

It also held that the officers involved are to be removed from the duty schedule and disciplined in accordance with public service rules in line with regulation 3115 of the Financial Regulation.

Before adjourning the hearing to February 15, for continuation, Chinda further ruled that one Evelyn Umah, said to have retired from the commission be produced before the panel to explain her role in the bogus sums claimed as pocket expenses in Zambia with all evidence of the trip including travelling documents and receipts.