By Tobias Lengnan Dapam
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals (OSSAP-SDGs) has debunked reports of missing N23 billion in its office.
An online source had reported that there is disquiet in the of the SDGs Office due to an alleged N23 billion traced to the personal account of a former staff of the Office.
But a statement issued yesterday by Janet Mcdickson, Head, Communication, OSSAP-SDGs, said the publication was reckless and lacking substance.
“Therefore OSSAP-SDGs wishes to categorically state that there is no N23 Billion missing in the Office. Indeed, appropriated and released funds to the office were judiciously utilized in the discharge of its mandate.
“On the transfer of staff from the Office, it is pertinent to state that it is completely the prerogative and responsibility of the pool Ministry or Office to redeploy any of their staff seconded to any Ministry, Department or Agency in line with extant rules and guidelines. It is therefore misrepresentation of facts for anyone to interpret this as an ‘attempt to cover-up’.
“It must also be stated that the National Assembly, amazed by the spurious allegations in the reports had also debunked insinuations that the allocation to OSSAP-SDGs in the 2020 budget was padded with the sum of N33bn and absolved both the person of Princess Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire and OSSAP-SDGs of such financial Impropriety.”
The office said that the statement signed by the House Committee Chairman on SDGs, Hon. Rotimi Agunsoye, indicated that, “The House Committee on SDGs got records from the OSSAP-SDGs and Appropriation committee which shows the said additional 33 billion was not appropriated for SDGs office among provisions of the 2020 budget earlier assented by Mr. President.”
