The federal
government has asked all former senior public office holders to return assets
of government in their possession immediately.
The directive
announced yesterday by Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun affects ministers,
permanent secretaries, directors and other political office holders.
Already, a project
coordinator has been appointed by the minister for the immediate take-off of an
Asset Tracking and Management Project.
The minister
also created the first Central Asset Register for the federal government,
Director of Information, Salisu Na’inna Danbatta said in a statement yesterday.
According to
the statement, for the first time, a Central and Unified National Database of
Assets (Asset Register) would be generated to maintain record, track and manage
the huge investments in capital assets owned by Government.
The statement
said Mrs Adeosun had dispatched a circular to all Federal Ministries,
Departments and Agencies (MDAs) requesting their accounting officers to prepare
an inventory of all fixed assets held as at 31st December 2016, to facilitate
physical verification by the project team.
The circular
requested all heads of MDAs “to ensure that any assets held by current and
former staff are fully accounted for. In this regard, you may find it necessary
to contact any former staff and/or political office holders to avail them the
opportunity to return relevant assets in their possession.”
The circular
emphasised that “all inventory records submitted will be cross-checked to
capital releases and project account purchases to ensure completeness. Where
assets have been sold or otherwise disposed of, they must be recorded with
supporting authorization for sale and evidence of payment, where applicable.”
The circular
drew the attention of Heads of MDAs to Chapter 26 of the Financial Regulations,
with regards to disposals of assets and warned that “any asset not accessible
for physical inspection and not disposed of in accordance with financial
requirements will be deemed to have been illegally withheld or converted.
Please record such assets so as to enable the investigative agencies to be
notified.”
The records of
the assets disposed of should cover the last five years, and all accounting
officers of the MDAs were to submit their reports not later than three weeks
from the date of receipt of the circular.
It could be
recalled that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) delivered 40
vehicles recovered from some retired Directors of the Ministry, to the Federal
Ministry of Water Resources recently. Also the Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission (EFCC), last Wednesday, announced the forfeiture of 47 cars to the
federal government by a former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Power,
Godknows Igali.
The statement
added Assets Tracking and Management Project and the creation of the Assets
Register were new initiatives of the Federal Ministry of Finance designed to
enhance accountability, promote transparency and deepen efficiency in line with
the change agenda of the Administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The Asset
Tracking exercise and Register will make planning and control easier and
improve accountability for assets. With the increased allocation to capital
expenditure to 30%, it is important that all assets are recorded and accounted
for. Where disposals occur, they must be in line with the laid down procedures
and must be transparent,” the minister said, in the statement.
The Asset
Register would afford the government the opportunity to know and monitor, in
real time, online information on the inventory of Government Assets.
0 Comments