House Summons Ministers, Auditor-General Over 10- Year Agric Funds Scandal

By Linda Ike

The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee probing agricultural subsidies, intervention funds, aids, and grants from 2015-2025 has summoned the Auditor-General of the Federation, Minister of Finance, and Minister of Agriculture.

The summons followed unsatisfactory documentation and accountability gaps revealed at a Committee hearing.

Committee Chairman Jamo Aminu slammed the Auditor-General’s office for failing to provide audit reports on key programmes amid Nigeria’s food insecurity and soaring prices.

“We cannot probe effectively without proper audit records, these are decade-long critical funds,” Aminu stressed, insisting on full transparency.

Deputy Director, Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, Mohammed Adamu blamed delays on the Ministry of Agriculture’s refusal to release documents, urging the probe to include Finance too:

Adamu said the Auditor-General’s office had repeatedly requested relevant records on agricultural subsidies, grants, aids and intervention programmes but had yet to receive the required cooperation.

“The primary source of these documents is the Ministry of Agriculture. Without those records, concluding the audit process has been difficult,” he said.

The committee directed that the Auditor-General of the Federation, Minister of Finance and Minister of Agriculture to appear before it February 3, or face National Assembly sanctions.