Senate panel indicts AGF over N74b social benefit not budgeted for

***Recommends that AGF refunds said amount

The Senate has sustained  the Indictment of Accountant of the Federation for paying N74 billion as social benefits without breakdown in the 2016 budget .

The Auditor General of the Federation in the 2016 report had raised concern over payment of N262.4 billion as social benefits against the N188 billion provided for in the budget resulting in extra-budtary payment of N74 billion without breakdown.

The query reads” The total cost for social benefits amounted to N262.3 billion whereas the budget amount for the period was N188 billion as contained in the budget report , resulting in the extra-budtary expenditure  of N74 billion.

“In addition it was observed that there was no breakdown of the total social benefits cost of N262 billion to disclose the different individual amounts  for gratuity, pension and death benefits that make up social benefits.”

When the representative of the Account General appeared before the Senate Public Accounts Committee chaired by Senator Mathew Urhoghide to respond to the query , the Accountant General accepted the observation of the Auditor General.

The Committee observed that the Accountant General could not address the query.

The Committee therefore recommended to the Senate that the Account General should refund N74 billion in line with Financial regulation.

The Senate adopted the recommendation of the Committee for the refund of N74 billion to Federation account .