About eight Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) spent N728 million on foreign trips and conferences without obtaining appropriate approval, as reported by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation (OAuGF).
This information is disclosed in its annual report on non-compliance/internal control weaknesses in MDAs of the Federal Government for the year 2020.
The audit, examining fiscal activities in 2020, singled out notable entities such as the National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) and the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), both located in Abuja, as well as the University of Uyo in Akwa Ibom State.
The list also encompasses the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, and the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget, and National Planning, among others.
These public organizations are identified for their oversight in bypassing critical approval processes mandated by either the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) or the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation (OHCSF), which should have been secured within the first quarter of the budgetary year before executing such expenditures.
This oversight not only highlights a lapse in internal control mechanisms but also raises questions about fiscal discipline and accountability within these crucial federal institutions.
