The House of Representatives’ Committee on Pensions on Thursday summoned the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, over the alleged diversion of N29bn from the Police Pension Fund to other capital projects.
Also summoned were the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Jonah Otunla; and the Director, Budget Office, Dr. Bright Okogu.
The House committee, which is chaired by Mr. Mohammed Bawa, heard that the money was kept in a commercial bank, but was discovered to have been drawn for other projects.
The matter came to the open when the Director General, Committee for Pension Transition Arrangement Department, Ncllie Mayshak, appeared before the committee in Abuja.
The director claimed that after the money was withdrawn from the commercial bank, it was lodged at the Central Bank of Nigeria before the alleged diversion took place.
She said, “The Accountant General has a way of re-appropriating money from one sector to another for optimal use.”
In another breath, she stated that Okonjo-Iweala “unfreezed” another N2.5bn, though she explained that in the second instance, it was to address the problem of shortage of money to offset pension liabilities.
However, the committee said the minister had no authority to reallocate funds already appropriated by the National Assembly without seeking the approval of the legislature.
It resolved to summon the minister to clarify the issue
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