-Say Obasanjo spent N250m a year on Charles Taylor

BY EMMAN OVUAKPORIE

ABUJA—The Public Accounts Committee, PAC, of the House of Representatives revealed at the weekend that over N4 trillion was spent from 2004 to 2012 by the Federal Government from Service-wide Vote without the approval of the National Assembly.

The committee said due process was not followed in the manner such a huge sum was lavished, noting that it contravened Section 80 of 1999 constitution.

The committee also alleged that between 2005 and 2006, the government of former President Olusegun Obasanjo spent N250 million to feed former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor and his family, who were on an asylum in the country.

Chairman of PAC, Adeola Olamilekan (APC-Lagos), who disclosed these at a briefing of journalists, said the expenditure was made without parliamentary approval, starting from the government of President Obasanjo to that of President Goodluck Jonathan.

Olamilekan explained that “most of the expenditures to which the Service-wide Vote releases were deployed are routine in nature and did not qualify for emergency funding.

“For instance, between 2004 and 2012, a total of N1, 284,853,731.20 was spent on publicity and publication of various government programmes.

“Between 2004 and 2005, N250 million was spent on the upkeep of the former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, another N14,006,494.847.57 was also released from the Service-wide Vote for the payment of judgement debts against the Federal Government.

“The office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, Budget Office and the Ministry of Finance released to their various offices a total of N2, 267,002,101 to a few auditors as audit fees and in 2011 alone, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation paid out N809,358,504 as audit fees to some external auditors carrying out audit of the Federal Government financial activities instead of the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.”

He also alleged that over N160 million was released for the Budget and Accountant General’s offices.
He said further: “The expenditure of N162million from the 2011 Service Wide Votes releases tagged; “Closing Accounts” incurred jointly by the Office of the Accountant-General and the Budget Office of the Federation.

“An expenditure of N1,059,177,589.31($6,619,859.93 at the rate of $1=N160) in 201 and 2011 said to payment of outstanding tax on Nigeria House in New York.

“Successive governments have from 2004 to 2012. Spent a whopping N4.17 trillion as against N1.8trillion approved by the National Assembly as Service Wide Votes component of the budgets of those years, translating to N2.27trillion extra budgetary spending or 220% above the Service Wide Votes as approved in the budget for the period.”

He explained that “such extra-budgetary expenditures constitute a breach of Section 81 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999(as amended) and an illegality.”

Olamilekan also said PAC discovered in the course of its oversight that the Service-Wide Vote was converted to a recurrent fund by the government, instead of an infrastructure vote.

“Such releases were mainly used to finance recurrent expenses not targeted at critical and strategic sectors of the economy and the releases were random and did not follow any clear pattern.

“The Service Wide Votes had become an alternative budget which government prefers to patronize than the annual budget, leading to poor implementation of the annual budget as approved by the National Assembly,” he added.

The report was earlier last Thursday presented by Olamilekan to the House which resolved that the committee should do more on its findings and present another report within two weeks.
The Service Wide Wide is the fund set aside for emergency purposes.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/12/fg-allegedly-lavished-n4-7trn-8yrs-reps/

It's becoming more interesting! So even the self acclaimed 'Saint' OBJ was guilty? And yet APC see him as the Messiah of Nigeria. But these Honourable Lawmakers didn't inform us how much was their own 'illegal' allowances and entitlements within this same period. They should go back and bring out a more Comprehensive and Balanced report.

Buggahti on my mind

it will be ineteresting to know how much of the amount went on paying the salaries and allowances of the most expensive legislature in the world

Obj and Gej again? Bunch of ogogoro leaders. SMH!

ceo4eva: It's becoming more interesting! So even the self acclaimed 'Saint' OBJ was guilty? And yet APC see him as the Messiah of Nigeria. But these Honourable Lawmakers didn't inform us how much was their own illegal allowances and entitlements within this same period. They should go back and bring out a more Comprehensive and Balanced report.

+1000 likes. bro, u get mouth

Recently, a senator built and donated to a Church a building worth several millions of naira, and our dear President Goodluck Jonathan, who claims to be at the frontline of the fight against corruption, went to commission the building suspected to be a proceed of corruption, and Nigerians see it as normal. I concur fully with a prolific writer, who happens to be my role model in writing, Okey Ndibe, that “Nigerians venerate banality”.

Paradoxically, however, our leaders, past and present, have been fighting corruption in different ways through different means, to no avail. The question is: can you give what you don’t have? The answer is very clear: corrupt leaders, no matter how hard they try, cannot fight corruption, and in the cause of fighting corruption, they have themselves become more corrupt. An Igbo adage says the recalcitrant will certainly submit to burial mat (ekweghi ekwe n’ekwe n’ute ekwere). They can have their fill now, but certainly their cups will be full one day and they will find no hiding place. Everywhere in Nigeria, corruption is glaringly seen; from the executive to the legislature, to the judiciary, and to law enforcement agencies, government parastatals, educational institutions etc. Religious institutions are not left out of this evil. What we see in the churches today is self-esteemed, sanctimonious and pompous leaders (holier-than-thou attitude), who blindfold and confuse their congregation.

mickyarams: Recently, a senator built and donated to a Church a building worth several millions of naira, and our dear President Goodluck Jonathan, who claims to be at the frontline of the fight against corruption, went to commission the building suspected to be a proceed of corruption, and Nigerians see it as normal. I concur fully with a prolific writer, who happens to be my role model in writing, Okey Ndibe, that “Nigerians venerate banality”.

Paradoxically, however, our leaders, past and present, have been fighting corruption in different ways through different means, to no avail. The question is: can you give what you don’t have? The answer is very clear: corrupt leaders, no matter how hard they try, cannot fight corruption, and in the cause of fighting corruption, they have themselves become more corrupt. An Igbo adage says the recalcitrant will certainly submit to burial mat (ekweghi ekwe n’ekwe n’ute ekwere). They can have their fill now, but certainly their cups will be full one day and they will find no hiding place. Everywhere in Nigeria, corruption is glaringly seen; from the executive to the legislature, to the judiciary, and to law enforcement agencies, government parastatals, educational institutions etc. Religious institutions are not left out of this evil. What we see in the churches today is self-esteemed, sanctimonious and pompous leaders (holier-than-thou attitude), who blindfold and confuse their congregation.

U've said it all. Every sector of the economy is submerged in massive corruption. It's just that some individuals act as if they are less culpable.

Abeg, Who is winning this battle now? What's the score? I'm only watching from the bench!

These same legislators that are busy sounding the alarms of corruption against past corrupt leaders are themselves worst thieves!

Princess2be: Abeg, Who is winning this battle now? What's the score? I'm only watching from the bench!

Your guess is as good as mine

Oh boy see figures.
Chai I don read money sotey my eyes con dey turn.
If ASUU can go on strike because of poor public universities,
why can't every Nigerian go on strike because of massive corruption?
I mean like national riot, revolution?

Please @op Obasanjo is now in APC.... He is nolonger corrupt.
I urge all Nigerians to put behind all his many sins so Nigeria can forge ahead.
The corrupt man we know is now a saint, I also heard buhari baptized him since joining APC

holyvirgin: Please @op Obasanjo is now in APC.... He is nolonger corrupt.
I urge all Nigerians to put behind all his many sins so Nigeria can forge ahead.
The corrupt man we know is now a saint, I also heard buhari baptized him since joining APC

lol....u funny die...