By Halimah Olamide
The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Dr Oluwatoyin Madein, has countered the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Betta Edu saying her office does not make payments on behalf of government agencies.
Madein made the clarification in a statement by Bawa Mokwa, Director, Press, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) in Abuja on Saturday.
According to Madein, the OAGF does not make payments for projects and programmes implemented by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government.
She was reacting to media reports concerning a request from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and Poverty Alleviation for payment of grants to vulnerable groups in some states of the federation.
She said that allocations were released to self-accounting MDAs in line with the budget, and such MDAs are responsible for the implementation of their projects and payments for such projects.
Madein said that, although her office received the said request from the ninistry, it did not carry out the payment.
“The Ministry was, however, advised on the appropriate steps to take in making such payments in line with the established payment procedure,” she said.
She said that in such situations, payments were usually processed by the affected ministries as self-accounting entities.
Maiden said that no bulk payment is supposed to be made to an individual’s account in the name of “project accountant”.
She said that such payments should be sent to the beneficiaries through their verified bank accounts.
Madein reiterated her determination to uphold the principles of accountability and transparency in the management of public finances.
She advised MDAs to always ensure that the requisite steps were taken in carrying out financial transactions.
The clarification is connected with the current probe of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation.
President Bola Tinubu recently approved the suspension and investigation of Halima Shehu, National Coordinator of the National Social Investment Program Agency (NSIPA), over alleged financial impropriety of about N30 billion.
Shehu, however, reportedly told her investigators that that she moved the N30 billion she is accused of embezzling to other accounts because the minister, Dr Betta Edu, wanted to embezzle it.
Shehu reportedly said that Edu had already misappropriated N585 million by transferring the sum to a private bank account.
In a letter that has since leaked to the public, Edu asked the AGF to transfer N585 million to the said private bank account in UBA, belonging to one Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola.