The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, retired Generak Muhammad Buba Marwa, failed to appear at the investigative hearing on the alleged mismanagement of N467 million before the Senate.

The Director General of the NDLEA was expected to appear before the Senate Public Accounts Committee.

The committee, chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide, was to host Marwa on Wednesday, but he failed to honour the invitation.

The Committee’s investigation was on the 2016 Office of Auditor General Report, which raised 11 queries against the NDLEA.

It was gathered that the letter of the meeting was submitted to the NDLEA and received by the Agency.

The query reads: “The  Agency over spent Capital expenditures in 2015 by N12,986,372.00 (Twelve million, nine hundred and eighty-six thousand, three hundred and seventy-two naira) on the renovation of Jigawa State Command and Osun State  Command.

“This  act contravened  Financial  Regulation  419  which  states  that  ‘…officers  controlling  votes  are solely liable for unauthorised  expenditure in excess of  the sum allocated.’”

The  Chairman/Chief  Executive  was  requested  to  justify  this  violation  of  the Financial  Regulation  or  recover  the  sum  of  N12,986,372.00  and  furnish  recovery particulars  for  verification.

The query added: “The  sum  of  N43,228,750.00  (Forty-three  million,  two  hundred  and  twenty-eight thousand,  seven  hundred  and  fifty  naira)  was  spent  on  renovation  and  purchase  of  5 (five)  operational  vehicles  in  Nasarawa  State  Command  in  2015.

“A  scrutiny  of  the Appropriation  Act  revealed  that  the  amounts  spent  were  not  appropriated  for  by  the National Assembly. The  Chairman/Chief  Executive,  having  failed  to  produce  the  authority  for  this expenditure,  should  recover  the  sum  of  N43,228,750.00  and  furnish  relevant  particulars for  verification.

“A sum  of  N42,603,261.94 (Forty-two million,  six hundred  and  three  thousand,  two hundred  and  sixty-one  naira,  ninety-four  kobo)  granted  as  cash  advances  three  years ago,  to    9  (nine)  officers  of  the  Agency,  were  not  retired,  contrary  to  Financial Regulations.

“The  Chairman/Chief  Executive  should  recover  the  sum  of  N42,603,261.94  from the officers  involved and forward evidence of  recovery  for  verification.

“The  Agency  spent  a  sum  of  N2,577,150.00  (Two  million,  five  hundred  and seventy-seven  thousand,  one  hundred  and  fifty  naira)  on  professional  fees,  renewal  of licence  fees  and  seminar  fees  for  its  staff    in  2015.

“This  is  contrary  to  Office  of  the Head  of  the  Civil  Service  of  the  Federation  Circular  Ref.  No  HCSF/PSO/866/II/214 dated  1st  March,  2009,  which  stopped  payment  of  annual  subscription  of  staff  to professional bodies by  Ministries,  Departments  and  Agencies. The  Chairman/Chief  Executive should  recover  the amounts in question.

“The  sum  of  N4,729,759.00  (Four  million,  seven  hundred  and  twenty-nine thousand,  seven  hundred  and  fifty-nine  naira)  deducted  as  VAT  and  WHT  from payments  to  contractors  for  services  rendered  to  the  Agency  were  not  remitted  to  the relevant  Tax  Authority,  contrary  to  Financial  Regulation  234(i)  which  states  that  ‘it  is mandatory  for  Accounting  Officers  to  ensure  full  compliance  with  dual  roles  of  making provision  for  the  Value  Added  Tax  and  Withholding  Tax  (WHT)  due  on  supply  and services  contract  and  actual  remittance  of  same’ and  234(ii)  which  states  that ‘…Remittance of  WHT and VAT shall be made within 21 days of  deduction.’ The  Chairman/Chief  Executive  should  remit  the  sum  of  N4,729,759.00  to  the relevant  Tax  authority.    Otherwise,  the  sanctions  under  Financial  Regulation  3112(ii) should  be invoked.

“The  sum  of  N135,301,756.93  (One  hundred  and  thirty-five  million,  three  hundred and  one  thousand,  seven  hundred  and  fifty-six  naira,  ninety-three  kobo)  was  spent  by the  Agency  as  against  the  sum  of  N103,216,923.00  (One  hundred  and  three  million,  two hundred  and  sixteen  thousand,  nine  hundred  and  twenty-three  naira)  appropriated.

“This  resulted  in  excess  expenditure  of  N32,084,833.93  (Thirty-two  million,  eighty-four thousand,  eight  hundred  and  thirty-three  naira,  ninety-three  kobo)  on  Security  Vote  for the  year  2016,  contrary  to  the  provision  of  Financial  Regulation  313  which  states  that ‘No  expenditure  on  any  subhead  of  the  Recurrent  Estimates  in  excess  of  the  provision in  the  Approved  estimates  or  Supplementary  Estimates  may  be  authorised  by  any officer  controlling  a  vote  without  approval  of  the  National  Assembly.’

“Financial Regulation  419  also  states  that  ‘Officers controlling votes  are  solely  liable  for unauthorised expenditure in  excess of  the sum  allocated.’  The  Chairman/Chief  Executive  should  justify  the  excess  expenditure  of N32,084,833.93.

“A  sum  of  N169,336,264.36  (One  hundred  and  sixty-nine  million,  three  hundred and  thirty-six  thousand,  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  naira,  thirty-six  kobo)  was  spent  on Security  Votes  in  2015.

“Further  examination  of  the  Agency‟s  Budget  for  that  year, revealed that  there was no appropriation for Security Vote  by the National Assembly.   The  Chairman/Chief  Executive  should  produce  the  authority  for  this  expenditure or recover  the sum  of  N169,336,264.36  and  forward  relevant  details for verification

“Contract  for  the  supply  of  7  (seven)  operational  vehicles  for  a  sum  of N90,772,500.00  (Ninety  million,  seven  hundred  and  seventy-two  thousand,  five  hundred naira)  was  awarded  without  approval  from  the  Ministerial  Tender‟s  Board.

“This contravened  Section  16(2)  of  the  Procurement  Act  of  2007  which  states  that  ‘No  fund shall  be  disbursed  from  Treasury  or  Federation  Account  or  bank  account  of  the procuring  entity  for  any  procurement  falling  above  the  set  thresholds  unless  the cheques,  or  other  form  of  request  for  payments  is  accompanied  by  „No  objection Certificate’ to  an  award  of  contract  duly  signed  by  the  Bureau.  Financial  Regulation 2906 also requires the  Agency not  to  award contract  above its threshold. The  Chairman/Chief  Executive  was  requested  to  void  the  contract,  in  compliance with  Section  16(4)  of  the  Public  Procurement  Act,  2007,  which  states  that  “any procurement  purported  to  be  awarded  without  a  Certificate  of  „No-Objection‟  duly  signed by  the  Bureau  shall  be  null  and  void”  and  recover  the  amounts  already  paid  to  the contractor.

“A  cash  advance  of  N2,350,000.00  (Two  million,  three  hundred  and  fifty  thousand naira)  was  paid  to  a  staff  for  provision  of  furniture  for  the  Guest  House,  while  another sum  of  N700,000.00  (Seven  hundred  thousand  naira)  was  paid  to  a  contractor  for production  of  5,000  file  jackets.  These  items  were  not  taken  on  stores  charge,  contrary to  Financial  Regulation  2402  which  states  that  on  all  payment  vouchers  for  the purchase  of  stores,  the  Store  Keeper  must  certify  that  the  stores  have  been  received and  taken  on  charge  in  the  Store  Ledger  quoting  the  store  receipt  voucher  number  and attaching the original copy of  the  Store Receipt  Voucher to  the original LPO”. The  Chairman/Chief  Executive  should  produce  evidence  of  receipt  of  the  items into  the store,  or  recover the amounts in question.

“Cash  advances  amounting  to  N8,629,600.00  (Eight  million,  six  hundred  and This twenty-nine  thousand,  six  hundred  naira)  were  granted  to  staff  for  various procurements. was contrary to Treasury Circular TRY A2&B/2009/OAGF/CAD/026/V  dated  24th  March,  2009,  which  stipulates  that  “All Accounting  Officers  and  officers  controlling  expenditures  are  to  ensure  that  all  local procurement  of  stores  and  services  costing  above  N200,000.00  shall  be  made  only  by No. award of  contracts”. The  Chairman/Chief  Executive  should  recover  the  sum  of  N8,629,600.00,  as  this cannot  be regarded as  a  legitimate charge against  public funds.

“The  Director-General  used  green  ink  in  giving  approval  for  payments.  This contravened  Financial  Regulation  3002  which  restricts  use  of  green  ink  to  staff  of  the Auditor-General for  the Federation.

“The  Chairman/Chief  Executive  should  henceforth  restrain  the  Director-General from this practice. All  the  issues  raised  were  brought  to  the  attention  of  the  Chairman/Chief Executive, but  no response  was received  from  the Agency.”

The Eagle Online