The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Zonal Youth Leader, Ado Wantos, has faulted the Farouk Lawan-led House of Representatives committee, which probed the oil subsidy regime, over the publication made in various newspapers which blamed the office of the Accountant General of Federation (AGF) for authorizing the subsidy payment of N999 million in 128 times within 24 hours during the reign of Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo as the AGF.
Wantos told newsmen that the office of the AGF was not responsible for the payment of subsidy; rather the AGF only administers online payment from the source, either the consolidated revenue account or the domestic excess crude, which are the sources of the payment into that account to be monitored and paid by the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA).
He accused political enemies of working underground with the Lawan Committee to undermine the Gombe governor.
Wantos also faulted the committee’s head, Hon. Lawan, who has been serving in the National Assembly for over ten years, accusing him of using the probe to pursue selfish political interest ad seeking to tarnish the image of some people in authority.?
He explained that the function of the Office of the AGF was to release funds to the ministries departments and agencies (MDAs) on approval of the Minister of Finance, and noted that Governor Dankwambo was never involved in the operation and management of various MDAs’ accounts, whether with Central Bank or other banks.
“The OAGF transfers the approved amount to the Account of PPPRA maintained at the CBN; the PPPRA disburses the payments to the individual beneficiaries of the oil subsidy by issuing necessary payment instruments to the CBN,” he said.