₦137m Unaccounted Imprest, Misapplied Funds Flagged Across Transition Period At National Assembly

Secrets Reporters

A document obtained by SecretsReporters has uncovered multiple internal control breaches, including ₦74.7 million in unaccounted committee operational advances and ₦62.6 million in misapplied public funds.

The audited timeframe covers the final months of the 9th National Assembly under the leadership of former Senate President Ahmad Lawan and former Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila prior to the inauguration of the 10th Assembly in June 2023 led by Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker Tajudeen Abbas.

In reference to the audit figures covering January 1 to June 30, 2023, the core findings center on procedural non-compliance in cash advances and procurement which are Unaccounted Committee Imprest: ₦74,720,700.00 was disbursed as imprest—operational cash advances—across 70 Senate Standing Committees, with portions remaining unretired at the time of the review, and Misapplication of Funds: ₦62,660,000.00 was identified as spent outside the specific statutory purposes for which the funds were originally appropriated.

The report clears it that using cash advances as a substitute for standard Local Purchase Orders (LPOs) or Job Orders directly violates Paragraph 2302(ii) of the Financial Regulations 2009. Furthermore, Paragraphs 1405 and 1420 mandate that institution Accounting Officers must ensure the prompt recovery and retirement of all granted advances.

Beyond the cash advance queries, auditors reported that the National Assembly failed to submit standalone financial statements for audit verification. This omission violates Treasury Circular Ref. No. TRY A3&B3/2024/OAGF/CAD/026/V.IV/855, which mandates that federal entities prepare standalone financial statements duly audited by resident Office of the Auditor-General personnel or authorized external auditors, and jointly signed accordingly.