The Senate has sustained the indictment of Accountant-General of the Federation for paying N74 billion as social benefits without a breakdown in the 2016 budget.
The Auditor-General of the Federation in the 2016 report had raised concern over the payment of N262.4 billion as social benefits against the N188 billion provided for in the budget resulting in extra-budgetary 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-budgetary 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 Accountant-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 Accountant-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 the Federation Account.
