Senate indicts Budget Office over illegal N19b payment

THE NATION

The Budget Office of the Federation has been indicted for releasing  N19 billion to four unnamed agencies without  approval of  the Ministry  of Finance  the Senate has revealed. 

This is contained in the 2016 Report of the Auditor General of the Federation   adopted by the Senate.

According to the AuGF, the Budget Office violated extant financial regulations when it released the N19  without   approval.  

In addition to the indictment, the Senate directed  the Budget Office to retrieve the money from the four  MDAs and return it to the ministry.

The Senate had in October 2022 commenced investigation into the alleged   payment of the sum.