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Waivers: NASS constitutes panel to probe N4trn revenue shortfall

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The National Assembly Joint Committee on Finance on Monday set up a special panel to investigate the revenue shortfall totalling N4tn due to indiscriminate waivers granted to agencies of government.

The resolution of the Committee, co-chaired by Senator Sani Musa and member, Abiodun Faleke, was adopted at a hearing to investigate the revenue profiles of Ministries, Departments and Agencies and Government-Owned Enterprises ahead of the 2025 budget defence.

The hearing was to enable the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Finance to develop accurate and realistic revenue projections for 2025, with emphasis on Internally Generated Revenue and expenditure.

The resolution to investigate the shortfall followed the adoption of a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Kebbi Central Senatorial District, Senator Adamu Aliero.

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Drawing the attention of his colleagues to the development, Aliero noted that “Due to the issue of waivers, there is a serious shortfall between what is supposed to be collected as revenue and what is actually collected.

“From our record, over N5.9tn was supposed to be the consolidated revenue fund of the federation. But we only have N1.9tn. We need to set up a special committee that will investigate this serious anomaly.

“We cannot continue to be allowing revenue agencies to be spending money without the National Assembly’s approval. If someone is given a waiver, we have to find out who gave that waiver. A shortfall of over N4tn is not a small amount. We found out that over N 4.9tn has not been remitted. We should set up an investigative committee that will probe all the money that has not been remitted,” he said.

Co-chairman of the Joint Committee, Senator Sani Musa, said the committee was aware that a lot of GOEs collect revenues from other sources without disclosing those sources.

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“Some of them did not even disclose this to the budget office. We’ve been able to get some of them and we have done our scrutinisation. You can imagine an agency collecting revenue from and failing to remit same.

“Funds that are supposed to be remitted to the consolidated revenue fund are not remitted. I think from now on, we are going to block that leakage and we will do the needful. We will scrutinise the expenditures of these GOEs because a GOE will collect 100 per cent of revenue and in its expenditure, you see that it’s spending about 95% of that revenue it collected. This is the avenue at which we can find a lasting solution to those leakages,” Musa stated.

He further pointed out that President Bola Tinubu had, while presenting the 2025 Appropriation Bill before the National Assembly mandated Heads of MDAs to respect parliamentary summons.

Musa, who represents Niger East Senatorial District, threatened that any GOE that failed to give an accurate account of how its revenue and expenditure risks having a zero allocation in the 2025 budget proposal.

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The committee also queried the Federal Road Safety Corps for failing to remit the sum of N8bn out of its total Internally Generated Revenue in 2024.

This followed the presentation by the Deputy Corps Marshal, representing the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, who said though the agency had a revenue target of N10bn in 2024, it generated N13bn.

The FRSC was, however, unable to explain why only N5bn was remitted to the coffers of the government, given that the agency is 100 per cent funded by the government.

“You had a target of N10bn but generated N13bn, and you only remitted N5bn. You need to furnish this committee with details of the unremitted fund,” Senator Sani directed.

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The Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, who made a brief appearance at the event, said lessons learned from 2024 formed the basis of the assumptions in the 2025 budge,t which he said were designed to generate more revenue for the government and provide solutions for the economy.

He charged the GOEs to think outside the box to support the government’s bid to reposition the economy for the benefit of Nigerians,

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PFIPC scandal: ‘I borrowed N400 million to secure the appointment’ – Adeyemi Adeniyi

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The self-acclaimed Director-General of the disputed Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council, PFIPC, Adeyemi Adeniyi, says he borrowed the N400 million to secured the job at the presidency.

Adeniyi made this revelation on Monday during zoom interview on ‘Politics Today’, a programme on Channels Television.

He said his creditors have reported him to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

He described the way some actors in government taking the matter as ‘unfortunate and embarrassing’, asking how only him could manoeuvre the entire Federal Government system.

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“I borrowed this money, the N400 million, to pay for this appointment. In fact, those that I borrowed the money from have reported me to the EFCC to refund it,” he said.

When asked to react to the report that there is a United States lobbying firm helping him to seek an asylum, Adeniyi said, “I read it the way you read it.”

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May 18 primaries has come to a close, I appeal to all my people to support all APC candidates -Ize-Iyamu

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Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu has beckoned on all his loyalists to support All Progressives Congress APC candidates after the party formally endorsed all Edo State candidates.

This was contained in a statement he personally signed encouraging his loyalists in Edo South to throw their weights behind all APC candidates.

Hear him:

“Following wide-ranging consultations with our leaders, party members, supporters, women, youths, and well-wishers across Edo South, Nigeria, and the diaspora, I address you today(Monday ) with profound gratitude, humility, and an unwavering commitment to the unity and progress of our great party.

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“The APC Edo South Senatorial Primary held on May 18, 2026 has come to a close. Our party has completed its democratic process, and a candidate has emerged. I accept the decision of our party in good faith and appeal to all our members, followers and friends to do same.

“The All Progressives Congress is greater than any individual ambition. It is a platform built on service, sacrifice, discipline, and our shared commitment to a better future for our people. Political contests may test our preferences, but they must never diminish our common purpose.

To every supporter, coordinator, volunteer, grassroots mobiliser, and everyone who stood with us throughout this journey, I offer my heartfelt appreciation. Your loyalty, sacrifices, encouragement, and prayers have been a constant source of strength. I remain deeply grateful for your confidence and steadfast support.

I wish to specially thank our brothers and sisters in the diaspora across party lines for the overwhelming support they gave my senatorial bid and assure them of my continous commitment to the development and progress of our district. I urge every one of you to remain peaceful, reject division, and continue to uphold the values that have always defined our people.

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Now is the time to reconcile, close ranks, and focus on the greater task before us. Our collective responsibility to serve the people of Edo South is far greater than any individual aspiration. As we move forward, I remain committed to working with our leaders, stakeholders, and party faithfuls to strengthen the APC, secure victory in the general election, and advance the development and well-being of Edo South Senatorial District.

The contest is behind us. The future is before us. Let us move forward with one resolve, and one commitment- to build a stronger APC and a more prosperous Edo South.

Thank you for your prayers, your loyalty, and your unwavering support throughout this journey.
History will not remember the contest we fought; it will remember the future we built together. Let us unite. Let us serve. Let us win for the APC, for Edo South and for the people of Edo State.

God bless the All Progressives Congress. God bless Edo South Senatorial District. God bless Edo State.
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Oba gha to kpere, ise

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Senate investigates N34tn Duty Waivers, Threatens Sanctions for Defaulting Agencies

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The Senate Committee on Finance has opened a fresh scrutiny of the Federal Government’s import duty waiver regime after the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) disclosed that the value of Import Duty Exemption Certificates (IDECs) issued since March 2020 rose to about ₦34 trillion by 2025.

The committee also threatened sanctions against the heads of several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), the Industrial Training Fund (ITF) and the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jabi, for failing to appear before its investigative hearing on revenue remittances.

Appearing before the committee on Monday, Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, said the agency’s revenue performance had been significantly influenced by government fiscal policies, particularly import duty exemptions granted to strategic sectors.

He explained that about 60 per cent of the ₦34 trillion worth of duty waivers covered military hardware imported to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, while the remaining exemptions applied to imports of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), electric and hybrid vehicles, medical equipment, industrial machinery, manufacturing inputs and food items under government intervention programmes.

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Adeniyi maintained that duty waivers should not be assessed solely on the basis of revenue forgone, arguing that they were intended to promote broader economic and social objectives, including industrial growth, improved healthcare delivery and national security.

He, however, recommended stronger monitoring mechanisms to ensure beneficiaries of the incentives deliver the expected outcomes through increased production, lower prices and wider economic benefits.

The Customs boss also told lawmakers that the Service had generated about ₦4.5 trillion as of June 30, 2026, against an annual revenue target of ₦11.04 trillion.

However, the hearing exposed disagreements over Customs’ financial obligations after the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) alleged that the agency had an outstanding operating surplus liability of about ₦8.9 billion based on its 2019 audited accounts.

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Customs officials rejected the claim, insisting that the figures required reconciliation.

The committee also turned its attention to the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) after the Fiscal Responsibility Commission alleged that the agency had failed to remit about ₦13.9 billion in operating surplus between 2023 and 2025.

Responding, the Registrar-General of the CAC, Hussaini Ishaq Magaji, acknowledged the outstanding liability but said the Commission had commenced gradual settlement of the amount.

To establish the actual figure, Chairman of the committee, Senator Sani Musa, directed the CAC, the Fiscal Responsibility Commission and the committee’s secretariat to reconcile their records and submit a comprehensive report within two weeks.

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The committee also expressed displeasure over the absence of several invited agencies from the investigative hearing.

Senator Musa warned that the heads of the NCAA, SMEDAN, ITF, FMC Jabi and other defaulting agencies must appear at the next sitting or face sanctions under the Senate Standing Rules.

He stressed that agencies responsible for managing public resources have a constitutional obligation to account for revenues generated on behalf of the Federal Government and comply with legislative oversight.

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