According to the deputy chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Baba, Amaechi is to appear with the ministry’s budgetary appropriations for 2008 to determine whether there were provisions for the said donations in it or not.
The minister is expected to appear before the committee and explain the rationale behind an alleged authorization of N25.250 million as donations in 2008 without appropriation.
Amaechi’s invitation is due to the inability of the Director- General of Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Mr Dakuku Peterside, to back up his defence with necessary documents and to explain to the committee why the spending was made in 2005 when funding for it was contained in the 2008 budget.
NIMASA is one of the agencies under the ministry of transport. Meanwhile, the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF), who accused NIMASA of the illicit spending in its 2010 report, has since requested that the money should be refunded immediately to the consolidated revenue account. According to The Guardian, Peterside said the payments were in order as they were meant for settling services that were rendered to the agency.
Go clear yourself
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