The Federal Ministry of Justice, under the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, has exhausted its personnel costs in the 2021 budget and is currently bankrupt and unable to pay the salaries of its workers, SaharaReporters has gathered.

Some workers in the federal ministry told SaharaReporters that life had become increasingly difficult for them as they were unable to meet their financial obligations.

They wondered how Malami and other senior officials of the ministry would claim to have exhausted their personnel budgets before the end of a fiscal year, adding that the morale of the staff was now low.

“The Ministry of Justice was unable to pay us last month’s salary because the ministry has exhausted its budget according to the office of the Accountant General of the Federation. The Accountant-General had written to call the ministry’s attention to it before, but out of Malami and others’ negligence, they didn't take it serious, because they refused to act on it,” a female worker told SaharaReporters.

“Hence, they couldn't pay our salaries.”

Another worker in the ministry stated that if the situation was allowed to continue, their productivity would be affected.

He added that expectedly, many of them were down with rising debts.

“The personnel cost of the ministry is exhausted. The top officials have lavished the money and have run down the ministry with wasteful spending. We have not got last month’s salary,” he said.

SaharaReporters had in a series of detailed investigations exposed how the Attorney-General of the Federation acquired several properties whose value ran into billions of naira since being appointed by Buhari.

For example, Malami has an underground hotel in Sokoto, three houses at Peace Estate, Abuja, a brand new state-of-the-art school in Kebbi, two houses for his sons worth N100million each, and a new hotel under construction in the Jabi area of Abuja.

He also bought a house in 2020 worth N150 million in the Gwarimpa area of Abuja.

Part of Malami’s assets since becoming a minister is also a newly constructed school which is located at the back of NITEL in Gesse Phase 1, Birnin-Kebbi.

A new house worth N600million on Ahmadu Bello Way, Nasarawa GRA, Kano, was acquired by Malami also after becoming a minister.

Malami also built a N3billion multipurpose event centre in Kebbi state named Azbir Arena for his son in Kebbi.

This is apart from Rayhaan Hotel located on Zaria Road, opposite Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, which the AGF massively upgraded.

Ever since SaharaReporters published a series of detailed reports exposing these illicit acquisitions, the online news medium has been a target for the AGF’s camp.

Despite the open display of unexplained wealth by the AGF and members of his family in recent times, President Buhari, who rode to power in 2015 on the back of a promise to crush corruption, especially in the government circle, has yet to offer any statement on the development.

Observers say Buhari’s silence is an endorsement of the atrocities of one of his most trusted lieutenants, Malami.

Amotolongbo:
Corruption is the identity of this administration while insecurity is the logo

Tomek09:
On a free and fair election, this Abubakar Malami can't win Kebbi State governorship election.

Rugaria:
These people from Niger Republic running this country are only pretending to be Nigerians. They're NEVER Nigerians at heart. If you take a very critical look at how these people have wrecklessly manhandled Nigeria over the last 6 years, you need nobody to tell you that they're out to loot down the country and utilize Nigerias enermous resources to build up the greater fulani communities across West Africa! The damage they're doing to the country is totally intentional and they won't stop unless they're stopped!

Nobody in his right senses who truly loves his country, leaves her in a serious debt mess as these Mauritanians are doing. They are now inviting every Tom Dick an Harry to come and join the looting frenzy.. And instead of the so called press houses in Nigeria to be busy exposing the monumental heist going on within this government, they're busy playing tribal politics in their desperate bid to prepare one opolo eyed Hushcobar Tinubu for the presidency. So why do they want to make a drug lord the president? So he too can loot for his tribal enclave. The country is a disgrace.. It's a "you loot I loot" democracy..

seunmsg:
This is not a case of corruption but poor budgetary provision. MDAs only get the capital and overhead components of their budget and not the personnel component. The personnel is managed by IPPIS in the Office of the Accountant General. So, saying it was mismanaged by the ministry is absolute rubbish. It happened to about 30 MDAS in 2019 I think including my office so it’s not unusual. How can a ministry even mismanage what they don’t have control over?

It’s either the ministry did not make adequate provision in the budget for personnel or they recruited some bee staff during the year without previously budgeting for them. Whatever the case is, the management of the ministry should be blamed for poor planning.

When cases like this happen, the service wide vote would come to the rescue. They should simply apply to the minister of finance to help bridge the personnel shortfall for the remaining months through service wide votes.

omowolewa:
Ministries doesn't pay their salaries, Federal Government does.