The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has frowned at a whopping sum of N132 million expenses on sewing of drivers’ uniforms by the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET), saying the money should be refunded into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).
The Senator Mathew Uroghide led Committee while probing financial activities of the agency uncovered the sum of N132,066,948.00 million, expended on drivers’ uniforms, overseas training etc.
Senate’s directive was sequel to queries issued to that effect by the Auditor General of the Federation in the 2015 Audit Report.
The Auditor General for the Federation has earlier raised queries on the amount expended.
The Senate Committee’s investigation showed that the purported overseas training which cost NBET the sum of N95.320 million never took place, while the sum of N34.583 million was spent on services that the NBET management could not defend before the panel.
On drivers’ uniforms, the NBET management said it spent the sum of N2.583 million, an amount considered outrageous and a waste of government resources.
The queries read: “Payment of the sum of N34,163,948.00 million without internal audit checking for unverifiable services in violation of extant Financial Regulations.
“Payment of N2,583,000.00 million to a contractor for production of uniforms of outsourced drivers who were supposed to be kitted by their firm and not NBET.
“Expenditure of the sum of N95, 320,000.00million for overseas training of Staff against Presidential directive and without documentary evidence.”
The Senate Committee of the whole, having debated on the report submitted to it by the panel unanimously adopted it and asked NBET to refund the total amount of N132 million without delay.
