Accountant General Of The Federation (AGF) Says ‘Memo Not Appropriate' From Minister In Charge Of Npower Dr. Betta Edu, Says Office Of The Accountant General Of The Federation (OAGF) Does Not Make Payments For Projects

The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Dr Oluwatoyin Madein, has made it clear that the Office Of The Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), does not make payments on behalf of Ministries, Departments and Agencies for projects and programmes implemented by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

According to Npower, the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) in response to a memo sent to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) by Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister in charge of Npower, said the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) failed to make the said payment and rather advised the minister in charge of Npower Dr. Betta Edu on the necessary process to go about it. 

Dr. Betta Edu the Minister in charge of Npower has been in the news few days ago, when a major news publication reported how the Minister in charge of Npower, demanded that ₦585.198 million be transferred into a private account for a said project without following the right process.

Reports have it that Dr. Betta Edu, the Minister in charge of Npower, requested that the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mrs Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein to transfer public funds to a private account belonging to Oniyelu Bridget Mojisola, identified as a project manager by the Minister in charge of Npower Dr. Betta Edu. 

A letter from the minister in charge of Npower, with reference number: FMHAPA/HQ/OHM/S.208 to the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Mrs Oluwatoyin Sakirat Madein dated December 20th, 2023, had requested that over ₦585,000,000 should be sent to a private account. 

The letter signed by the minister in charge of Npower, Dr. Betta Edu, is titled “Mandate for Payment of Grant for Vulnerable Groups in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Lagos and Ogun States Respectively.”

But in a recent publication, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) made it clear that the minister in charge of Npower Dr. Betta Edu, made some violations which made the request not to be approved. 

According to Bawa Mokwa, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) Director (Press), the office said, “The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Dr Oluwatoyin Madein, has made it clear that the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) does not make payments on behalf of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) for projects and programmes implemented by the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

“The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) was reacting to media reports concerning a request from the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation (the ministry in charge of Npower) to pay grants to vulnerable groups in some States of the Federation.

“Dr Oluwatoyin Madein stated that allocations are released to self-accounting Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in line with the budget, and such Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are responsible for the implementation of their projects and payments for such projects.

“In a statement in Abuja, the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) Dr Oluwatoyin Madein explained that although the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) received the said request from the Ministry in charge of Npower, the office did not carry out the payment. The Ministry in charge of Npower, was, however, advised on the necessary steps to take in making such payments in line with the established payment procedure.

“The Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) said that in such instances, payments are usually processed by the affected Ministries as self-accounting entities and no bulk transfer is supposed to be made to an individual’s private account in the name of Project Accountant.

“Dr Oluwatoyin Madein added that such transfers should be sent to the beneficiaries through their verified bank accounts. Dr Oluwatoyin Madein emphasized her determination to uphold the principles of accountability and transparency in the management of public funds. Dr Oluwatoyin Madein the Accountant General of the Federation advised Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to always ensure that the required processes are taken in carrying out financial transactions.”