The Nasarawa State House of Assembly’s Committee on Public Accounts on Monday alleged that the state government and its agencies had made an extra-budgetary expenditure of over N3 billion.
The committee’s Chairman, Assemblyman Francis Orogu (PDP-Keana), made the claim while presenting the report on the committee’s oversight functions during the plenary session of the House in Lafia.
Orogu said the state government spent over N3 billion without appropriation.
He said that the report, which covered the period between June 2011 and July 2013, indicated that N29 million was spent on the Government House administration outside appropriation.
He also said that over N1.7 billion was discovered as extra-budgetary expenditure in the Office of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG).
Besides, Orogu alleged that N80 million was spent by the Office of the Deputy Governor without legislative approval.
He said the extra-budgetary expenditure that was discovered during the period under review was a violation of Section 121, Sub-Sections 1 to 4 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Three other committees also submitted reports of their oversight functions to the legislature during its plenary session.
The House, however, set up a five-member ad hoc committee to harmonise the various reports that were presented before the House for further legislative action.
Reacting to the allegations, Alhaji Hamza Elayo, the Commissioner for Information and Ethical Re-orientation, said that he was not privy to the report, adding that he could only react whenever he saw a copy.
“The state government will come up with a statement over the allegations when the report is made available to it with all the details,” he said.