ICPC Uncovers N12.9bn padded as personnel cost by MDAs
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, ICPC, has disclosed that it has uncovered N12.9 billion padded into the personnel cost of some Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs.
Chairman of the commission, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, made the disclosure in a press briefing on the outcome of the first phase of the Commission’s Constituency Tracking Project exercise.
Without revealing the MDAs involved, he said the ICPC has already restrained the release of the fund.
According to him, as part of its prevention mandate, the commission embarks on System Study by going into ministries, agencies, and departments of government, including anybody, using public funds, to look at how the funds have been utilized.
The ICPC boss said, “About a month and a half ago, we restrained N9.2 billion from going out; when you look at the budget, and what has been appropriated, and how it is to be used, I can tell you authoritatively that there is still budget padding.”
He added that, “As at this moment, we have had an additional N3 billion and hopefully, by the time we finish, we would have saved the government in personnel cost only.”
He said the practice is due to weak oversight on the ministries and agencies for which the ICPC is putting such oversight in place by checking their personnel vote that is not exhausted.
According to him, “they have collected more than they need to pay salaries, it’s very simple logic, and we restrained the money and invited the agencies to attest to what we found…they did not dispute it.
“We simply communicated with the ministry of finance and said we would have stopped this money, but it’s on the e-government platform, can you take this money away, and that was done.
“Basically, the way it happens is that the agency will request that appropriation saying they have one hundred staff and the salary for one hundred staff is one billion and the government prioritizes wages, but in the payment you would find out they have paid everybody and there is money left.
“So why did they ask for N1 billion in the first place, the other people did not exist, they are ghosts, and since the money is on the government information and financial management system, we can see it and we said take this money.”
He added that ICPC investigation shows that agencies were able to use fund meant for salaries on travels, Duty Tour Allowance, DTA, and other things that they should not have done.