Documents for Approval of N2.2bn Service Wide Vote are missing, Justice Ministry’s Permanent Secretary tells Senate

Solicitor- General of the Federation and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Justice, Mrs Beatrice Jeddy- Agba has told the Senate that the documents and letters to buttress the  request and subsequent approval  for the collection of N2.2 billion Service Wide Vote were missing. The Senator Matthew Urhoghide, led Committee was however shocked that a Permanent Secretary in charge of such a sensitive ministry could say that such documents to substantiate what was collected were not available. The Committee  had last month mandated the Ministry of Justice to submit documents relating to the approval of N2.2 billion from Service Wide Vote between 2017-2021.

Speaking in Abuja when she appeared before the Committee, the Permanent Secretary said that the Finance  and Accounts  Department of the Ministry had checked everywhere and the documents were  not be found, lamenting that it was quite unfortunate. The Permanent Secretary who told the law makers that it was  certain that  the request was made by the Ministry before the money was  released,  said, ”  they have checked the relevant documents, they can’t find it. It is quite unfortunate. The Department of Finance and Account is responsible. I can assure you  that this request was made. We could not find any document probably as a result of record keeping, they could not find  the request and approval letters.”

Disturbed by the submission of the Permanent Secretary, Urhoghide who noted  that the Committee was yet to see any letter of request and approval as this amount to  extra budgetary spending,  said, ” Who gave the approval, we have not seen any letter of approval/request. It only means extra-budgetary spending. ”I think we are magnanimous enough in this Committee, what this means is inept, it is not nice that you can not find  the approval and request letters. The recommendations of the Committee will not be nice.” The Committee thereafter  ordered the Ministry to provide the documents by Thursday next week, December 1, 2022.