Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola has discredited an online report that he supervised the illegal payment of N4.6 billion into private bank accounts when he served as minister of power, works and housing.
The report had claimed the ministries paid the money into personal accounts of directors and staff between September and December 2019.
However, in his reaction on Monday, Mr Fashola said no money was stolen.
He explained that the Federal Government in 2007 initiated a payment platform called the Integrated Personnel Payment and Information System.
“What has happened is that not all government officials who, from time to time, needed to be paid for approved expenses were registered on the platform,” Fashola said.
“In order to ensure that government work was not hampered, the directors of finance and accounts sought and obtained approval of the accountant-general to pay these monies through the accounts of an approved few who were on the platform.”
He added, “Those so approved then collect the money and disburse to the beneficiaries who sign receipts all of which are retired and available for verification as approved by the accountant-general.”
The minister noted that the accountant-general had recently issued new guidelines to deal with the process.
“In all, no money was stolen or is missing. There is no smoking gun to criminalise Fashola,” he said.
