House Queries Ministry over Alleged Disappearance of Two Operational Vehicles

 

The House of Representatives on Monday queried the Ministry of Labour and Employment over the alleged disappearance of two operational vehicles of the ministry in 2015 under mysterious circumstances.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Public Accounts, Hon. Wole Oke, said the query was sequel to the report of the Auditor-General of the Federation (AuGF) which was issued to the Permanent Secretary of the ministry Mr. William Nwankwo, during an investigative hearing on the 2014/15 audit queries by the AuGF.

 

While responding to the query when he made appearance before the committee yesterday in Abuja, Nwankwo said he only assumed duties in the ministry in the later part of 2016.

He said a retired Director, one Mr. Paul, allegedly took away the vehicles as part of his entitlements, adding that it was lawful for such senior retirees of the ministry to go with such vehicles upon retirement.

However, the lawmaker and other committee members, who were visibly furious over the disappearance of the two vehicles, said the Permanent Secretary of the ministry's accounting office should account for them.

Oke told the Permanent Secretary categorically that he was not speaking the truth on the matter, adding that he ought to go after the missing vehicles until he retrieves them.

The committee, therefore, directed Nwankwo to go back and come up with relevant documents to back up his position and report back on November 25, 2019.