TheCable

Senate President Ahmad Lawan says the national assembly will take action against ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) that fail to submit their audit reports.

Lawan said this on the floor of the upper legislative chamber after the budget of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) was passed on Tuesday.

The sum of N238 billion was passed as the customs’ budget for 2020. While N98 billion was voted for personnel cost, N15 billion and N123 billion were voted for overhead and capital costs respectively.

The warning of the senate president is coming a day after the house of representatives resolved to “name and shame” MDAs that failed to present their reports.

Lawan said for failing to present their reports, the MDAs are suggesting that they are not ready to receive a new budget.

“We expect MDAs to present their audited accounts before the end of the year, especially towards the end of December or at least the first quarter of next year, that is if, we include all the calendar months,” he said.

“If any agency refuses or fails without any cogent reason; we have reason to take a drastic action when it comes to appropriation because it is to give account of what you have been given in the previous year.

“So, I’m advising the MDAs, especially those that are not up to date with their audited accounts to do so. We could decide as a national assembly to take measures against agencies of government that are not up to date with their audited accounts.”

Earlier, senators demanded to see details of the customs budget after Francis Alimikhena, chairman of the senate committee on customs, presented the report.

James Manager, senator representing Delta south, said the committee did not give the senate a detailed report.

On his part, Bala Na’Allah, senator representing Kebbi south, wondered why N128 million was budget for television sets.

“What happened to the television sets they have,” he said.