Non-Remittances: Representatives threaten to block accounts of government agencies

By Christiana Ekpa

The House of Representatives Committee on Finance has threatened to order the Accountant General of the Federation to block the accounts of government agencies that has refused to render account of their revenue profile or render accurate remittance to the government.
This was just as the Director of Finance and Account with the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Musa K. Jemaku lashed out at the office of the Accountant General for claiming that they have not paid their operating surplus for three years (2019, 2020 and 2021).
A representative of the Office of the Accountant General whose name could not be ascertained had said that the FRC has not remitted it’s operating surplus for 2019 (N126 million), 2020 (N143 million) and 2021 (N26) million to the government coffers adding that the operating surplus for 2021 has not been fully calculated because the agency has not submitted its audited accounts for 2021.
Speaking at the resumed revenue monitoring exercise of the committee on Monday, Vice Chairman of the committee, Saidu Abdullahi (APC, Niger) frowned at the refusal of some of the agenciea to appear before the committee despite invitation extended to them.
Abdullahi said out of eight agencies that were invited to appear before the Committee on Monday, only two (Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria and National Health Insurance Authority) honoured the committee invitation.
The Lawmaker said while two others applied to be given another date, Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, National Broadcasting Commission, National Examination Council and National Inland Waterways Authority failed to either honour the invitation or communicate them.
He said “We expected eight agencies to appear before the committee today, but only two agencies came, while two others wrote to request for another date and they were granted.
“However, four other 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 an assignment that is very important. If members can turn out in large number for this assignment, I don’t see any reason why 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. “