The House of Representatives has threatened to withhold the 2020 budget allocation of Yaba College of Technology (YABATECH), over failure to submit its audited reports to the Auditor General of the Federation office.

Findings by the House Committee on Public Accounts at an Investigative Hearing, on Friday, discovered that the management of the institution failed to render the accounts since 2014 as required by law.

The Rector, Obafemi Omokungbe, who led the institution’s management appeared before the Public Accounts Committee at the resumed “Public hearing on refusal of Non-Treasury Funded and Partially Funded Agencies to Render their Audited Accounts covering the period 2014-2018 to the Auditor-General of the Federation”.

He said he assumed office in 2018 and that the accounts were not ready, adding that an external auditor would complete the work after which the accounts would be transmitted to the Auditor General of the Federation.

Speaking after the submission, Chairman of the Committee, Oluwole Oke described the submission by YABATECH Rector as unacceptable and against financial regulations guiding civil service.

The committee ruled that, if they failed to comply, the National Assembly would have no option than to withhold the 2020 budgetary allocation to the Institution to serve as a deterrent to other defaulting federal government MDAs.

YABATECH was given 30 days to prepare the accounts and remit to the Auditor General of the Federation and bring the proof of full compliance before the Committee at a later date.

It would be recalled that, University of Ibadan was also placed on status enquiry by the committee and also risks losing their 2020 budget allocation over a claim made by its Bursar, that their auditor got “blind” while auditing their accounts. (Daily Trust)

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