The Nigerian Senate has threatened to arrest the heads of erring government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, that received N5 trillion in Service Wide Votes, SWV, without approval from 2017 to 2021.
It has also decided to conduct investigations into the public officials involved.
This came after it was discovered that many agencies received funds from the SWV without informing the National Assembly panels tasked with overseeing the agencies.
SWV, also known as the Consolidated Revenue Fund Charge, is the country’s annual budget’s contingency fund.
Senator Mathew Urhoghide (PDP Edo South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, told reporters in Abuja that the investigation was into the disbursement of SWV between 2017 and 2021.
Urhoghide went on to say that the votes had become a major component of the nation’s budget, given the amount budgeted for it each year in the proposals.
The lawmaker stated that the committee wanted to know how the money raised through Service Wide Votes was spent, citing confusion in the vote approval process.
“We want to see how this money is spent.” There is some uncertainty regarding approval, and we want to fully understand what is going on.”
The Ministry of Information and Culture, Defence, NHIS, Police, Ministry of Power, Bank of Industry, Water Resources, National Assembly, and Public Complaints Commission are among the 252 ministries, departments, and agencies expected to appear in the ongoing investigation of Service Wide Votes from 2017 to 2021.