The House of Representatives Committee on Finance on Monday threatened to direct the Accountant General of the Federation to block the accounts of Federal Government agencies that fail to render accurate accounts of their revenue profile to the government.
During the revenue monitoring exercise of the committee, Saidu Abdullahi, the Vice Chairman and member representing Bida/Gbako/Katcha Federal Constituency, expressed his disapproval of certain agencies’ intentional absence despite being invited.
This comes after Musa Jemaku, the Director of Finance and Accounts at the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, criticized the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation’s claim that they had not paid their operating surplus for three consecutive years (2019-2021).
Jemaku’s frustration arose from a statement made by an unidentified representative from the Office of the Accountant General, stating that the FRC had not remitted their operating surplus of N126 million for 2019, N143 million for 2020, and N26 million for 2021 to the federation’s funds.
Only two of the eight agencies invited to appear before the Committee on Monday—the National Health Insurance Authority and the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria—showed up, according to Abdullahi.
The National Broadcasting Commission, National Examination Council, National Lagos International Trade Fair Complex, and National Inland Waterways Authority, according to the lawmaker, did not accept the invitation or get in touch with the committee to provide an explanation for their absence. Two other applicants requested an alternative date.
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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”.
