The Federal Government says about 428 agencies will not be able to pay salaries by the end of November.
The Director-General of the Budget Office, Ben Akabueze, disclosed this on Tuesday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Public Account.
He said this was because the 2019 budget had been prepared before the Federal Government announced a new minimum wage regime.
Akabueze, however, said the government was considering releasing funds from the Service Wide Vote to cater for the shortfall in the Civil servants salaries for the month of November.
“About 428 agencies will not be able to pay salaries by the end of November. We may need to take from the Service Wide Vote to take care of the short fall in the workers salaries,” he said.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the committee, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, accused executive of deliberately under funding the Office of Auditor-General of the Federation.
He expressed surprise that an agency, set up to fight institutional corruption was under-funded by the Executive, while other agencies like the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and Independent Corrupt Practices Commission were being properly funded.
Responding, Akabueze said the budget office would only appropriate funds to the Office of Auditor General of Federation based on the extant laws.
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