Panic as ICPC Plans to Commence Probe of Sacked Perm Secs, DGs

President Muhammadu Buhari presenting the 2016 Budget

There is fear and apprehension on the faces of those indicted in the padding of the 2016 Budget as the ICPC and the EFCC gears up to investigate and punish those affected.

There is apprehension in some places as the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission sets to begin full investigations into the controversy,  discrepancies and padding of the 2016 Budget which saw the sacking of some Permanent Secretaries and Directors-General.

The investigations will give answers to the questions many Nigerians have asked about the 2016 Budget which was filled with errors, doctored figures and discrepancies which led many to accuse the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government of trying to use the budget to steal from Nigerians. A whopping 10 billion was hidden in the education budget which was uncovered by the senate.

The most bizarre of all the allocations is the proposed N22,321,880 budgeted for residential rent at the State House. The president has denied the budget and accused some people of doctoring it. This led to sacking of some permanent secretaries and Directors-General.

It was gathered that the ICPC had already carried out preliminary investigations into the discrepancies and no fewer than 13 permanent secretaries and directors would be invited when it starts full probe. Also to be invited are Ministries, Departments and Agencies, where certain figures are inflated.

According to Punch, a source revealed that ICPC will start the probe soon. “As of now, 13 permanent secretaries and directors will be invited to come and make clarifications.

“We have not reached any conclusion and nobody has been invited, but they will assist us in our investigations and whatever they say, will lead us to the root of the matter (budget padding).

“We are probing MDAs where there are suspected cases of padding. Their heads will be invited to come and shed light on how they arrived at the figures.” the source said.

It would be recalled that the government accused 'a mafia' to have allegedly tampered with the proposed 2016 budget.

The Ministry of Budget and National planning had also promised to investigate and punish those responsible for the errors and strange figures found in the budget, which was presented to the National Assembly by President Muhammadu Buhari in December, 2015.