By Deji Elumoye

The Senate has queried the National Agency for the Control of AIDS (NACA) over its failure to release records of 2015 global funding of the agency for proper auditing.

The query was based on the 2016 Report of the Auditor General of the Federation submitted to the Senate Committee on Public Accounts headed by Senator Mathew Urhoghide.

The query read: “The records of Global Fund with the Agency were not released for audit examination despite repeated demands. As a result, it was not possible to ascertain the total amount received from the Fund during the year to form an objective opinion on the judicious utilization of the money. All efforts to obtain the records, including explanations, were not successful.

“Similarly, the financial activities of the Global Fund such as amount received from the Fund and its utilization were not incorporated into the 2015 Financial Statements of the Agency, to form part of the Agency’s Incomes and Expenditures for the year.

“The Financial Statements of the Agency are expected to disclose not only funds from the Federal Government of Nigeria, but also incomes from other sources such as the Global Fund, World Bank, etc. Details of the utilization of the funds should also be disclosed, to give complete information regarding the financial position of the Agency and to avoid misleading the public. The Director-General did not respond to my report dated 29th August, 2017. He should therefore be compelled to explain the incomplete financial statements.”

The chairman of the committee, at its sitting weekend, also chided the agency for failing to include the financial activities of the Global Fund including amount received from the Fund and how it was utilised into the 2015 financial statements of the Agency.

Responding, the Agency’s Director of Finance and Account, Nsikak Ebong, said: “The global fund grants records are always available for review. These documents have always been made available to auditor or review on demand.”

The representative of the Auditor General of the Federation, Eyitayo Agesin, was however quick to counter the Finance Director of NACA, saying when the request was made in 2016, NACA was unable to present the documents for audit.

According to him, the report was written in August 2016 and NACA responded on February 20, 2017, almost about seven months after.

“We asked them to respond within 21 days but they didn’t do that. When NACA responded after seven months, they simply said ‘This is noted’.

“That means that they agreed that they committed an error and you now said the records are ready and available for your office at your convenience. That means we should come to your office again, the second time. We don’t have that time. We expect you to bring your records to the office to prove because the onus is on you to defend that record. You didn’t bring it,” he said.

In his remarks, the committee said: “There is no proof before us that gave details of what you got from global funds. DFA, you were there when this query was raised in 2016.

“Why don’t you bring the necessary documents that would show us what you got from Global Fund? You were coming to the Senate to respond to the query raised against you and you didn’t bring any document to show us?”

The committee therefore sustained the query as the Director of Finance and Account of NACA refused to release records of Global Fund for the committee. (THISDAY)

Update news