ICPC investigates, unveils findings of MDAs audit reports soon – Chairman

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), says it is investigating past audit reports on MDAs released by the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF).

The ICPC also promised to make its findings public.

The 2017 audit report revealed that N20.6 billion in various taxes in the year under review was not remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF) of the Federal Government by MDAs.

According to the report, 16 revenue generating agencies failed to remit N19.025 billion to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Bolaji Owasanoye, said this at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between them and the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF).

Owasanoye said the report was ready and would be released to the public in no distant time to reveal the impunity in some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“We invited them to our office and we have interacted with the agencies, some of the findings of past audit reports are about MDAs where impunity has completely run riots.

“We are looking at some of those and some of those investigations that had already started before the auditor-general’s report because our own activities had pointed a wrong doing.

“The Auditor-General’s report just helped to validate and sometimes, expatiate on what our operatives have said,’’ the chairman disclosed.

Owasanoye said the commission had in 2019 restrained various MDAs from misapplying over N40 billion.

“If we did not take proactive measures, the money will have been spent and lost. This year, the budget is about N10 trillion.

“Revenue is supposed to come from taxes, revenue from proceeds from oil and other IGR from non-oil sectors.

“When the revenue comes in even if it is a loan, it is allocated to MDAs and government projects.

“If we do not have a system that ensures that the money is put to good use, it is possible to spend N10 trillion without seeing the effect and so we have decided to be proactive,’’ he said. (NAN)