Public spending is still not very responsible and so we need to begin to change.
The House of Representatives on Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has obligated the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to begin move to recover the sum of N72.5 billion from corrupt officials of Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Some fixed assets including two Peugeot 504 cars, one Peugeot 406 valued at N1.460 million, one berretta pistol and 13-round live ammunition were also listed as items to be retrieved from some government officials by the EFCC.
Chairman of the Committee, Kingsley Chinda, speaking to journalists on Monday said the Lower Chamber of the National Assembly, asked the anti-graft agency to recover $1.819 million from some departments and agencies on the federal government.
Chinda blamed the government for the lack of transparency and weak institution that has led to the embezzlement of funds from the coffers of the federal government.
He said: “Generally, what we have observed is that not much has changed from the reckless system that we have operated in Nigeria. Public spending is still not very responsible and so we need to begin to change.
“Weak institutions constitute one of our major problems. Government is not making deliberate attempts to strengthen institutions and therefore, the fight against corruption might not be sustained because institutions that ought to fight it are not strengthened.
“One typical example is the office of the AGF from where we get our raw material. The good thing that will happen to the fight against corruption is to sign the Audit Commission Bill and we pray that the assent is not refused as usual,” he stated.
Chinda stated that the committee recovered N1.967 million after reviewing 510 queries to MDAs between 2010 and 2014.