EFCC probes top officials of 16 ministries over budget padding

The last has not been heard over the budget padding controversy that reared its ugly head earlier in the year

– The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced investigation

– The EFCC has interrogated directors of finance and account of 16 federal ministries

The EFCC is not resting on its oars to get to the bottom of the budget padding controversy that reared its head in the polity earlier in the year.

According to The Nation, the anti-graft agency has already commenced interrogating directors of finance and account of 16 federal ministries.

The EFCC has also retrieved the ministries’ original copies of their budget proposals from 2012 to 2016 and as well as the versions approved by the National Assembly.

The report also stated that many projects inserted in the budget in the last four years have been uncovered and the EFCC is probing whether they were executed.

The EFCC is also collaborating with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) to unravel the identities of the companies executing padded projects.

Meanwhile, there are indications that the commission is currently in the process of inviting the affected contractors, even as 184 civil servants have been reportedly indicted in the 2016 budget padding controversy.

The extension of the scope of the budget padding to four years might lead to the arrest of more top civil servants.

A source quoted said: “The EFCC has questioned directors of finance and account of 16 federal ministries in connection with the matter.

“The top officials were invited and questioned after the Commission had received and analyzed original proposals from the ministries and the appropriation from the National Assembly between 2012 and 2016.

“There are allegations and counter allegations and the Commission is looking at all of them.”

Meanwhile, President Buhari on Tuesday, October 4 sent a draft of the 2017 budget to the Nigerian Senate for approval.

Part of the details of the budget reveals that the plan assumes an oil price of $42.5 per barrel and production of 2.2 million barrels a day, as well as an exchange rate of 290 Naira to the U.S. dollar.