A drama played out at the investigative hearing held by the Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Friday as the Managing Director of Bank of Agriculture, Alwan Hassan, could not show evidence of purchasing two new Toyota Prado and a Ford Ranger Sports Utility Vehicles for the purpose of monitoring agric mechanisation programme.

The committee had summoned the BoA boss based on a query issued by the Office of Auditor General of the Federation in its 2017 report.

Appearing before the committee to explain the purchase and whereabouts of the vehicles bought with N49m, the MD of the bank could not present a document to indicate that the vehicles were even purchased.

Instead, Hassan presented a letter from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, which mandated him to withdraw money from the Agricultural Mechanisation Fund to procure the vehicles.

Members of the committee expressed shock as the MD was unable to show any concrete evidence that the vehicles existed.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, asked how Hassan paid for the SUVs without seeing the vehicles.

Urhoghide stated that the vehicles were never bought by the Bank of Agric and consequently sustained the query issued against the bank.

He also ordered a refund of the amount expended for purchase of the vehicles into Federation Account.

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The query reads, “The  Bank  expended  the  sum  of  N49,026,333.32  from  the  Agricultural Mechanization  Fund  specifically  meant  for  lending  to  operators,  on  various  unrelated   projects.    For  instance,  the  sum  of  N23,122,095 was  paid  to  a  motor dealer  through  payment  voucher  number  0103576  dated  29th  September,  2015  for  the purchase  of  two  Toyota  Prado  Jeeps.

“Similarly,  the  sum  of  N25,904,238 was  paid  to  another  motor  dealer  for  purchase  of  Ford  Ranger  Jeeps  vide payment voucher number  0103579 of  29th  September,  2015.

“These  purchases  were  purportedly  made  as  project  vehicles  for  the  Agric Mechanisation  Programme.  The  management  of  the  bank  could  not  justify  the  choice and  the  use  of  these  exotic  vehicles  for  supervision.    The vehicles could  also  not  be produced for  inspection  during the periodic check.

“The  Managing  Director  should  be  compelled  to  account  for  all  the  stated  motor vehicles,  or  refund to Government  the sum  of  N49,026,333.32.”