Reps to block bank accounts of agencies over inaccurate remittances

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.

This is just as the Director of Finance and Accounts with the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, Musa Jemaku faulted the claim by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation that they have not paid their operating surplus for three years (2019- 2021).

Jemaku’s anger stemmed from a claim by a representative of the Office of the Accountant General whose name could not be ascertained that the FRC had not remitted its operating surplus for 2019 (N126 million), 2020 (N143 million) and 2021 (N26) million to the federation’s coffers.

Speaking at the resumed revenue monitoring exercise of the committee on Monday, the Vice Chairman of the committee and member representing Bida Gbako Katcha Federal Constituency, Saidu Abdullahi frowned at the deliberate failure by some agencies to appear before the committee despite the invitation extended to them.

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”.