LIVE UPDATES
The House of Representatives Committee on Finance issued a warning to the Accountant General of the Federation, stating that they may instruct the blocking of accounts belonging to Federal Government agencies that do not accurately report their revenue to the government.
This comes after the Director of Finance and Accounts at the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Musa Jemaku, disputed the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation's claim that they have not paid their operating surplus for three years (2019-2021).
Jemaku expressed frustration over a representative of the Office of the Accountant General's assertion that the FRC had not remitted its operating surplus for 2019 (N126 million), 2020 (N143 million), and 2021 (N26 million) to the federation’s funds.
During the committee's revenue monitoring exercise on Monday, Vice Chairman Saidu Abdullahi, who represents Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency, criticized the intentional absence of some agencies despite being invited to appear before the committee.
Abdullahi noted that out of eight agencies invited to appear before the Committee on Monday, only two (the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria and the National Health Insurance Authority) showed up.
The Lawmaker said while two others applied to be given another date, the Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, National Broadcasting Commission, National Examination Council and National Inland Waterways Authority failed to either honour the invitation or communicate with the committee to give reasons for their absence.
He said, “We expected eight agencies to appear before the committee today, but only two agencies came, while two others wrote to request another date and they were granted.
“However, four others decided to abscond. That was the same word I used last year that did not go down well with some of the agencies. They have decided to play truancy on a very important assignment. If members can turn out in large numbers for this assignment, I don’t see any reason any agency will decide not to appear before the committee.
“Let me put on record that we hope to have these agencies appear before the committee. Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, National Broadcasting Commission, National Examination Council and National Inland Waterways Authority.”
He added, “We expect them to make an appearance by tomorrow, Tuesday. If they fail to appear before this committee, we may be forced to take appropriate action. We may write to the Office of the Accountant General to block their accounts.
“We will not take it lightly with any agency because this is an assignment that is very important to this country. We talk about revenue and if we cannot collect the revenue accruing to his country, I think there is a big problem.”
Jemaku who said that the agency paid about N800m to the government in 2024 also faulted the AGF’s claim that they have only paid about N602m into the government’s account.
He explained that there is a circular from the office of the Minister of Finance for the implementation of the Finance Act 2020, adding that the circular automated the process of paying the 50 per cent deduction.
“The AGF should be in a better position to answer the question of why the system could not deduct the correct 50 per cent for the period.
“On a lighter note, let me say that this is not the avenue for the AGF to draw our attention to the non-payment or operating surplus when there is no official communication from them to the agency”.
