Senate Threatens Arrest Of Heads Of Erring MDAs Over N5trn Wide Votes

The Nigerian Senate has threatened to detain the heads of any Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) that misused the N5 trillion in Service Wide Votes (SWV) from 2017 to 2021 and received benefits without authorization.

Additionally, it has decided to launch an investigation to expose the public officials at fault.

This came after it was found that numerous organizations received funds from the SWV without informing the National Assembly panels required by law to supervise the organizations.

The Consolidated Revenue Fund Charge, also referred to as SWV, serves as the nation’s emergency fund in the annual budget.

While addressing newsmen in Abuja, the Chairman of, the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Mathew Urhoghide (PDP Edo South), explained that the investigation had to do with the disbursement of SWV between 2017 and 2021.

Urhoghide added that the votes had become a major component of the nation’s budget, considering the amount budgeted annually for it in the proposals.

The lawmaker said the committee wanted to know how the money collected from Service Wide Votes is being expended, alleging confusion in the approval of the votes

“We want to see how this money is being expended. There is confusion on approval, we want to really get to know what is going on”.

The 252 ministries, departments, and agencies that are expected to appear in the ongoing investigation of Service Wide Votes from 2017 to 2021 are the Ministry of Information and Culture, Defence, NHIS, Police, Ministry of Power, Bank of Industry, Water Resources, National Assembly, Public Complaints Commission among others.