About N3.5 billion was misappropriated in 2016 by the management of the National Assembly, an audit report has revealed.
The monies were siphoned through various schemes such as failure to retire advances, financial documentation irregularities, excess payment for goods, controversial purchases and diversion of funds.
These findings were contained in the 2016 annual audit report released by the Auditor General of the Federation.
The report, released this year, noted how the agency failed to provide receipts, vouchers or contract documents for many transactions made in 2016.
As Senate President, Mr Saraki heads the overall institution of the National Assembly.
Some other key officials in the National Assembly with direct or oversight management responsibilities include the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Clerk of the National Assembly, Mohammed Omolori; Chairman of the National Assembly Service Commission, Adamu Fika; and Director General of the National Institute of Legislative Studies, Ladi Hamalai. Some of them were directly indicted n the report.
INDICTMENT
During the audit of the accounting records maintained at the National Assembly and its agencies, at the management section, under the General Services, it was revealed that capital account payment vouchers for amounts totalling N417 million (N417,312,538.79), raised for settlement of some contractors, were without vital supporting documents, ”a financial decision that depicts violation of Financial Regulation which provides that all vouchers shall contain full particulars of each service as to enable them to be checked without reference to any other document and will invariably be supported by relevant documents.”
“The Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Sani Omolori, should produce the supporting documents to the payment vouchers or recover the amount in question from the contractors,” the auditor ruled.
Also, during the audit of staff salary accounts, 37 payment vouchers with amounts to N67 million (N66,713,355) were observed to have been paid between January and June, 2016 for items not related to personnel cost.
The payees in the cashbook also did not correspond with those in the bank statement. This irregularity is a violation of Financial Regulation which states that “Expenditure shall strictly be classified in accordance with the estimates and votes must be applied only to the purpose for which the money is provided. Expenditure incorrectly charged to a vote shall be disallowed.”
“The sum of N66,713,355.08 being irregular expenditure should be recovered from the officer who approved the payments from the personnel vote,” the auditor instructed.
Review Of Expenditure
During the review of documents of capital expenditure vote by the auditor, it was discovered that payments totalling N116 million (N116,162,522.60) were made between April and June, 2016 to some contractors for various jobs carried out, without raising payment vouchers.
This contravenes the provisions of Financial Regulation which state that under no circumstance shall money be paid for services, for which a voucher has not been raised.
”The Clerk to the National Assembly should produce the payment vouchers for examination,” the report added.
Also, a total sum of N57 million deducted from various contract payments in respect of Withholding Tax and Value Added Tax was without evidence of remittance to the tax authorities.
The clerk was asked to produce the acknowledgement receipts from the Federal Inland Revenue Service for verification. He was stated, in the report ”to have ignored the auditor on these issues.”
‘Watery Documentation’
The general services account of the National Assembly was depleted by about N751 million on account of “watery financial documentations” and failure of staff to retire advances according to the report.
In the documents, it was revealed that N625 million was granted to the Constitution Review Committee through four payment vouchers between March and June 2016. These were not supported with relevant documents and details of the expenses.READ MORE
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/293579-how-national-assembly-mismanaged-billions-of-naira-through-illegal-expenditures-fraud-audit-report.html

U Should Stop Calling Them House Of Assembly, Rather House Of Thieves. Simple.

i've never seen a fiercely corrupt national assembly than our own here in Nigeria.They know nothing but to loot and defraud.Kudos to Ex-CBN governor Sanusi Lamido and Sen. Shehu Sani for making it frank and transparent about what the National assembly is all about concerning mismanagement of public funds and illegal expenditure.

Since Ghana Must Go Disappeared From The Senate! A New Pattern Has Evolved.Why Is The Efcc Not Proactive To Investigate Such Allegations.This Is Whistle Blowing Also!

Good we will also like to know how Buhari has mismanaged over 1.8 trillion Naira in illegitimate fuel subsidy regime

Executive legislative and juducial corruption.Who will now probe these criminals on both sides.EFCC, ICPC, police are all useless.

Saraki house of fraud, no wonder he want to be president knowing that's where the big money lies.

Racoon:
Executive legislative and juducial corruption.Who will now probe these criminals on both sides.EFCC, ICPC, police are all useless.

We already know that before now ,our question is what is the work of ICPC,EFCC and other financial institutions to all these that have kept our economy in a recession for years ?

Naijaguy12345:
Saraki house of fraud, no wonder he want to be president knowing that's where the big money lies.

Each time one hears about this massive theft of public funds, it is disheartening. Yet, there are clear cases of abject poverty and hardships everywhere in d country. This is heartlessness!!!

ManirBK:
Each time one hears about this massive theft of public funds, it is disheartening. Yet, there are clear cases of abject poverty and hardships everywhere in d country. This is heartlessness!!!

Heartless leaders with blind followers. Same leaders get worshiped by the followers even with clear evidence of being corrupt.

Its a mistake calling them law makers you can rather call them treasure looters.

[quote author=SarkinYarki post=72599782]

SarkinYarki:
Good we will also like to know how Buhari has mismanaged over 1.8 trillion Naira in illegitimate fuel subsidy regime

Bross u have a point, but the issue is dat this is democracy and there should be no interference in both arm of the govt , the president has little power on this , the problem of this country is d the NASS and the Judiciary , a system where the president take home 2m and a senator get almost 25m , a system where we have over 108 senators and 380 reps member working only for two weeks and going on holiday for two months!
very annoying!

Buhari stole more than all of them combined

believe me, no current senator deserves a return..

comos:
Buhari stole more than all of them combined

Sir, it's tym to dust your government textbook nd read up separation of power?

jumper524:
believe me, no current senator deserves a return..

But on a serious note, why should one Senator alone bag over N13m as monthly salary in a country where over 88,000,000 people are leaving below poverty line!

Allah akbomb

Why is Premium Times not giving us news about GandujeDollar gate?

WhaT i don't even enjoy at all is the way they budget for furnitures every year, do they change the furniture in their house the way they collect those monies.

Can't this country scrap this NASS

They are doing nothing especially the reps

Restructuring is the way to go... We need to get things right

ManirBK:
i've never seen a fiercely corrupt national assembly than our own here in Nigeria.They know nothing but to loot and defraud.Kudos to Ex-CBN governor Sanusi Lamido and Sen. Shehu Sani for making it frank and transparent about what the National assembly is all about concerning mismanagement of public funds and illegal expenditure.

.

Your statements are facts.

Strangebuttrue:
Allah akbomb

Unless money given to this so-called assembly is reduce then Nigeria will be better.

ManirBK:
But on a serious note, why should one Senator alone bag over N13m as monthly salary in a country where over 88,000,000 people are leaving below poverty line!

Labour is begging for 30,000
It's inhumane...

We need to support restructuring... The foundation is faulty.. It's not about Buhari or Jonathan.. They can't do anything about it..

comos:
Buhari stole more than all of them combined

where is your evidence? if you are so sure of what you are saying, present your evidence to the reading public

Bunch of Greedy hungry Thieves...

ManirBK:
i've never seen a fiercely corrupt national assembly than our own here in Nigeria.

They know nothing but to loot and defraud.Kudos to Ex-CBN governor Sanusi Lamido and Sen. Shehu Sani for making it frank and transparent about what the National assembly is all about concerning mismanagement of public funds and illegal expenditure.

And what about the executive corruption Guess others seem to copy from it.

https://www.dailyvibes.com.ng/missing-n91trn-oil-revenue-reps-summon-nnpc-gmd-2-firms/

Its beta we outsource governance or apply for recolonisation