.Assure quick passage of laws to fast track policy implementation by MDAs
** Say E-Customs capable of generating $1.76 bn annually.
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts yesterday summoned the Director-General DG Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), heads of Nigeria Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority (NOGFZA), as well as the Standard organization of Nigeria (SON) over the loss of Billion’s of naira in revenue from companies operating in the oil free zones as contained in audit queries issued by the office of the Auditor General for the Federation.
The Committee also directed its clerk to publish the said audit queries from the office against defaulting agencies in three national dailies for the public, as well as the President to see.
The committee had hinged its rulings on the reports of the Auditor General for the Federation detailing several infractions by government Ministries, Departments and Agencies submitted to it for legislative action.
The committee chairman, Hon. Oluwole Oke (PDP, Osun) at the resumed investigation of Ministries, Departments and Agencies MDAs on Monday lamented the attitudes of the relevant government agencies who he said abdicated their statutory responsibilities of generating revenue for government whilst Nigeria goes cap-in-hand looking for loans from foreign countries and creditors to finance the nation’s annual budgets
He said the purpose of the publication was to enable Nigerians and President Muhammadu Buhari see and know those agencies sabotaging government’s efforts to make life better for the citizenry.
The Osun born lawmaker lamented that a situation where the country keeps suffering the loss of revenue through non issuance of receipts for payments made to Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority, Fraudulent practices on issuance of Certificates of Acceptance on Capital Allowances by the Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Trade and Industry was unfortunate and unacceptable.
“We have invited all the regulators. Federal Ministry of Industry, Oil and Gas Free zone Authority, Onne, Standard Organisation of Nigerian and they are supposed to appear today. But they are not here. All the companies listed by the regulators, some of them are here, but the regulators are not here. From the evidences presented by these companies, we discovered that a company’s capital allowances rose from N4 billion to N33 bn within a year and they brought the certificate here for us to see.
“We called ministry of Industry to come and confirm whether they issued the certificate or not. If you issued a certificate for a foreign asset, an asset acquired outside the country, at least, there will be import duty, there will be receipt. Ministry of Industry, did you inspect the asset before you issued certificate of N33 billion? Those are the questions we are asking ministry of industry to come and answer. They have refused to come.
“Oil and Gas Free Zone Authority collected money in dollars from licensees and refused to issue receipt to them. All the licensees that have appeared before this panel said they were not issued receipts. Oil and gas Freee Zone, come and tell Nigerians why you did not issue them receipts and where is our money? The Minister of Finance has said severally that we will continue to borrow money to finance our budget because we have revenue gaps and because we are unable to collect the revenue we should have collected.
“The parliament cannot fold its hands. The difference between tax evasion and tax avoidance is very narrow. So, our ruling is that I want us to publish all the queries in three national dailies and all the regulators concerned and licensees who made allegations that they paid XYZ,” the chairman ruled.
He added that while the committee is not out to with hunt anyone or agency, it’s however interested in finding out if the enabling laws are no longer active and obsolete, so that the Parliament can enact new ones to enhance performance and economic growth.
Oke also ruled that the Director General of the Bureau for Public Enterprises must appear in person to answer queries issued against his agency, just as he is expected to appear with the Certificate of Acceptance for Capital Allowance.
Meanwhile the House of Representatives has said it will continue to enact legislations that would ensure that government ministries, departments and agencies and other institutions are well equipped and guided to deliver on their mandate.
Speaker of the House Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila made the remark at a one-day public hearing on the need to resolve the impasse between the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN and Adani Mega System Ltd over the Electronic Customs E-Customs project.
Gbajabiamila represented by the Deputy House Leader,Hon. Peter Akpatason said the success of any policy depends entirely on the effective and efficient implementation of such policy which can only be achieved through mutual agreement and understanding between the key players.
Earlier in a remark the Chairman House Committee on Customs and Excise, Hon. Leke Abejide expressed concern that non-implementation of the government’s E-Customs policy has denied Nigeria huge amount that could ‘ve been used to fund the nation’s annual budget.
Abejide explained that the House would not fold its arms while the revenue due for the country is being wasted, promising that the green chamber is ready to partner the executive arm to achieve the objective of the policy.
In their separate presentations, the Ministry of Finance and Nigerian Customs said Adani Mega System does not have capacity to handle the project hence the cancellation of the project.
They further stated that misrepresentation and material breaches by the company had affected its sincerity to execute the project adding that three cases are before court on the matter claiming unlawful termination of the contract.
The Committe Chairman Hon.Abejiede also said that it was estimated that Nigeria will generate over one hundred and seventy-six billion dollars from the E-Customs policy alone if it becomes operational.
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APC cancels National Convention indefinitely fixes Zonal Congresses March 26
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has written the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cancelling the National Convention of the party earlier fixed for February 26th 2022.
In place of the Convention, the party has fixed March 26, 2022 as date for its Zonal Congresses and has urged the commission to monitor the Congresses.
In a letter notifying the commission of the conduct of the Zonal Congresses, and signed by Mai Mala Buni, Chairman and John James Akpanudedehe Secretary respectively of the party Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC,) the party says the notice supersedes earlier notice for the national convention with reference APC/NHDQ/INEC/019/22/14 .
According to Akpanudedehe, the alteration is predicated on the evaluation of the APC Constitution.
The notice reads. “In furtherance to Article 85 of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) and compliance with Section 126 of our Party Constitution we hereby write to notify the Commission that our great Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has scheduled to hold its Zonal Congresses on Saturday 26 March, 2022
“Kindly arrange for your officials to monitor the exercise accordingly While hoping to receive your cooperation, please accept the assurances of our highest esteem”.
Prior to this notice, the fate of the February 26 National Convention has been mirred in controversy and confusion.
With the the Zonal Congresses planned for March 26, it should expected that the whole of April would be spent by the CECPC entertaining petitions and treating possible appeals arising from the Zonal Congresses.
That will leave the Caretaker Committee just a month grace to plan for the convention in June .
