The Federal Government has come under fresh scrutiny after the Auditor-General for the Federation said it could not verify that N33.75 billion in cash transfers reached 3,295,207 genuine vulnerable households.
The finding was contained in the Auditor-General’s 2024 Annual Report, which reviewed transactions at the National Cash Transfer Office for the 2023 financial year.
According to the report, electronic transfers totalling N33.751 billion were made to beneficiaries across 35 states. However, auditors said the payment vouchers did not contain complete beneficiary details needed to properly verify the recipients.
The audit also noted that a Remita statement required to reconcile those who received the payments with names on the National Social Register and National Beneficiary Register was not provided.
“This hindered the authentication of the payments and made it difficult to ascertain whether the beneficiaries who received the funds were genuine,” the report stated.
The Auditor-General further said efforts to obtain the necessary payment records were frustrated by officials of the National Cash Transfer Office.
“All efforts to obtain access to the REMITA statement were obstructed and denied by NTCO accounts staff, thereby frustrating the audit process,” the report stated.
The audit raised concerns over the possible loss of public funds and the risk of payments being made to ineligible or fictitious beneficiaries.
It recommended that the National Programme Manager account for the N33.75 billion before the National Assembly or recover and remit the money to the Treasury.
The report also queried another N36.74 billion reportedly paid through 215 vouchers without prepayment audit, warning of possible misapplication and diversion of public funds.
Auditors further identified N4.616 billion in 101 payments without supporting vouchers, while N350.18 million reportedly disbursed for the enrolment of unbanked beneficiaries across the states remained unaccounted for.
Another concern involved N393.71 million reportedly returned by nine states. The auditors said there was no evidence that the money had been credited to the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
The report noted that the NTCO management failed to respond to all eight audit issues raised by the auditors.
The findings have sparked reactions online, with some Nigerians questioning the handling of funds meant for vulnerable citizens.
Meshach Okorie: What they have used to buy houses 🏘️ in US UAE and London etc……,
Fredrich Uchenna Eze: Government of particular concern
Ntomchukwu Izuchukwu: Don’t expect much from droggi
Eby Kingsley: Money them share amongst themselves, people wey money go purge one day
Vicky Lorbito: Money wey dem de share within themselves
