Senate queries SMEDAN over N298m payment to officials – Senate Tuesday queried the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria, SMEDAN over failure to account for N298 million advance payments granted to some of its officials.
Senate’s query to SMEDAN was sequel to the 2015 Auditor General Report submitted to upper legislative chamber’s Committee on Public Accounts by the Office of the Auditor General of the Federation, OAuGF.
Specifically, the Chairman of the committee, Senator Mathew Urhoghide (PDP Edo South), frowned at the failure of the agency to present supporting documents of the N298 million spent by some of its officials in 2013.
Urhoghide, while reading the query said: “Audit review of the Internal Auditor report made available revealed that in December 2013, a total amount of N298 million was paid as advances.”
Director General of SMEDAN, Dikko Radda, however, defended the agency, explaining that all the documents presented before the committee were the expenses of 2014, claiming that the error was caused by a mixed up when they were compiling the documents.
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Responding to the evidence presented by the SMEDAN, the representative of Auditor General of the Federation, Adeagbo Ajibola confirmed that the documents presented before the committee were that of 2014 not of 2013.
But the committee chairman frowned at the failure of the agency to put its house in order, saying the excuse was not tenable before the committee.
In a written response of the agency before the committee it said, “The agency’s Internal Auditors observations were fully addressed and all personal and non-personal advances granted for the period under review have been dully retired.
“Meanwhile, as advised, cash advances will be retired as when due, and successive advances will not be granted without retirement of previous one.”