The Senate, through its Committee on Public Accounts, has indicted Abubakar Malami-led Ministry of Justice for failure to show the details on how N10.4 billion was disbursed to beneficiaries .
The indictment was sequel to the consideration of the 2017 and 2018 report of the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC).
The Committee, therefore, ordered the Ministry to stop further disbursement of the judgement debt and the committee responsible for the disbursement should be re-constituted and evidence forwarded to the Auditor-General and Senate Panel within 30 days.
In another development, the Senate has ordered the University of Ilorin , University of Abuja , University of Uyo, Federal University , Birim Kebbi, Federal University, Lafia, Federal University, Wukari, Modibbo Adams University of Technology, Yola and Federal University of Petroleum, Effurun to refund N4.7 billion mismanaged by the Schools’ management.
The Auditor-General reports for 2016 and 2017, indicted the seven universities which. The indictment was upheld by Senate Public Accounts Committee and also considered and approved by the Senate.
The breakdown showed that University of Abuja mismanaged total of N1.3 billion in 2017, Federal University of Petroleum mismanaged N1.1 billion , University of Ilorin mismanaged b- N745 million , Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA)- N467 million , Federal University, Wukari, N43 million , Federal University Dutsinma, Katsina – N141 million, Federal University, Lafia – N32 million.
On the Judgement debt, the auditor-General’s report stated that the committee saddled with the responsibility of managing the disbursement of judgement debt was dissolved in 2013.
It said that as of the time when the N10.4bn was disbursed by the Ministry of Justice in 2017, the committee had yet to be reconstituted. The report stated that lack of control, as witnessed in the disbursement of the judgement debt, could lead to loss of public funds.
Ayine, in the report, recommended that the Solicitor-General of the Federation and permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice should immediately constitute the committee as required by law.
