Auditor-General Reveals Cash Transfer Accountability Issues

The Auditor-General of the Federation's 2024 Annual Report on Non-Compliance/Internal Control Weaknesses in Ministries, Departments and Agencies disclosed that N33.75 billion was electronically transferred to 3,295,207 households across 35 states in Nigeria. However, the report highlighted that payment vouchers lacked complete beneficiary details, and the necessary Remita statements to reconcile recipients with the National Social Register were not provided.

Attempts to obtain these records were obstructed by accounts staff of the National Cash Transfer Office, preventing auditors from verifying the legitimacy of the beneficiaries. The Auditor-General clarified that while this audit finding does not imply theft, it indicates a failure to provide essential documentation for an independent audit.

Additionally, the report identified N36.744 billion in payments made without pre-payment audits and other significant financial irregularities totaling over N1.34 trillion across federal agencies. The transactions in question occurred in 2023, during President Bola Tinubu's administration.