By Emman  Ovuakporie
ABUJA — House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts has ordered the Chief Medical Director, CMD, of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Osun State, Prof. Olusanya Adejuyigbe, to render account of the alleged illegal lodgement of N230.99 million belonging to the institution placed in fixed deposits accounts.

The committee gave the directive during an interactive session with the management of the hospital on the queries raised against it by the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation, last Friday.

Offence

The committee declared that the action of the CMD was illegal and contrary to the provision of Circular No. TR No A7&B7/1999 of August 18, 1999 as well Circular No TRY/AS&BS/2009 of June 19, 2009.

The said circular, which the CMD contravened, authorised ministries/extra-ministerial departments, agencies, parastatals and government-owned corporations to invest their idle funds in 91 days Primary Market Nigeria Treasury Bills.

Regulation

Expressly stated in same circular is that all realised interests on all investments should be accounted for and be immediately remitted to the Sub-Treasury of the Federation and that all interest shall be paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account maintained with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

The committee noted that the unilateral decision of the CMD to lodge the funds in commercial banks in flagrant disobedience of government’s directives brought to the fore the incompetence of Prof. Adejuyigbe to properly manage the hospital.

No justification

All attempts by the CMD to justify his action to fix the funds in commercial banks were dismissed by all the members of the committee who said he had no valid excuse to violate government rules.

The committee regretted the fact that the CMD constituted himself into an authority that appropriates government funds as he wish.

In his ruling on the matter, Chairman of the committee, Adeola Olamilekan, directed the CMD to furnish the committee with the names of the commercial banks where money was lodged, bank statements and the interest accrued to date, within one week for further legislative action.

Contracts, too

Olamilekan also directed the CMD to furnish the committee with the details of all the contracts awarded by the hospital since 2007, names of the contractors involved, amounts of money, amounts already paid out and the outstanding payment as well as the stages of completion.