The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has started investigating claims that the Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Binyerem Ukaire, held back payment files meant for agencies under the ministry.
The development occurred barely two days after Premium Times reported that funds approved by President Bola Tinubu for the operations of several federal agencies had not been processed.
The affected agencies are Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Voice of Nigeria, News Agency of Nigeria, National Orientation Agency and the National Broadcasting Commission.
Sources familiar with the matter say the funds had presidential approval but were allegedly held up at the ministry.
Sources said Ukaire is said to have refused to process the payment files after heads of the affected agencies refused to meet the demand to give detailed presentations on their ongoing projects and how they were utilising the funds.
But some agency officials and industry stakeholders have reportedly questioned the demand, saying it ran counter to standard civil service protocols governing the relationship between supervising ministries and their parastatals.
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They pointed to a circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, which, they said, barred supervising ministries from directly dabbling in the finances of agencies that are accountable to their governing boards and supervising ministers.
The row has since raised concerns about the long delay in the release of the approved funds.
Heads of Agencies, Perm Sec, ICPC Questions
The ICPC subsequently invited Ukaire and heads of the affected agencies for questioning, the media reports said, as part of an investigation into the circumstances of the delayed payments.
Sources said investigators asked why the files were not processed despite the reported presidential approval.
Those familiar with the development said neither Ukaire nor the heads of the agencies were detained after the interrogation.
The investigation by the anti-graft commission is still underway, according to reports. Meanwhile, the controversy seems to have taken a new turn with increased public attention.
The affected payment files have reportedly been approved by Ukaire and sent for further processing and disbursement.
Heads of some of the affected agencies, contacted on Saturday, confirmed that the files had been transmitted and were now awaiting the final release of the approved funds into their respective accounts.
