…As Federal agencies fail to remit N1.695tr’***
The Delta State Government has disagreed with the Federal Government claims that the state’s external debt was N16 trillion out of N19 trillion, saying the figures do not represent the true position of its external loans debts.
The State Government specifically stated that out of the N19 trillion, the state are only responsible for N3 trillion, adding that the figures published by the Federal Government were incorrect.
Report published by the Federal Government recently said the states were responsible for external loans of N16 trillion out of N19 trillion.
But the State Commissioner for Finance, David Edevbie at a media briefing yesterday in Asaba, told journalists that the Federal Government’s figures were misleading and untrue.He described the situation as ‘shifting blames,’ adding that the state had received N33.5 billion Paris Club refund and N109 billion bailout fund.
It also released N3.26 billion with interest to local councils in the state, while N3.5 billion was spent on the payment of salaries and others payments.Edevbie insisted that N500 million was released for the payment of pensions out of the N2 billion outstanding on the presidential directive that the Paris refund be used for the payment of salaries by the state governments.
“It is totally not true and out of place. I’m sure President Muhammadu Buhari did not give that directive,” he said.He also disclosed that part of the Paris Club refund was spent on projects and payment of salaries, adding that N2 billion was released to local councils to off-set part of their outstanding backlog of salaries.
Edevbie explained that Delta State Government, in line with its electioneering promises, spent 58 per cent of the Paris Club refund on salaries and pensions, adding that the state government inherited N11.5 billion unpaid pensions and N3.6 billion, leaving an outstanding debt of N8.2 billion.
Earlier, the State Commissioner for Economic Planning, Kingsley Emu told journalists that N298 billion budget proposals for 2018 was enough to move the state forward in infrastructure development and other recurrent needs.
He assured the people of Delta that Governor Ifeanyi Okowa administration would provide the dividends of democracy and blamed the financial setback of the state on the Niger-Delta crisis.
Meanwhile, the Okurbo and Otumara communities in Oghara, Ethiope West Local Council of Delta State yesterday protested the alleged acquisition of their land by officials of the Nigerian Navy Logistics Command.
They have, therefore, threatened continued unrest until compensations are paid or their land is restored to them.To register their grievances, members of the communities staged a peaceful protest to Government House, Asaba in the early hours of yesterday.
They carried placards with inscriptions: Navy Give Us Back Our Land and We Need Our Land, among others, were, however, addressed by officials of the state who assured of government’s efforts to ensure peace prevails in the area.
The protesters alleged that the Nigerian Navy forcefully occupied their land measuring 600 x 600 hectares after several representations to the Navy’s authorities for settlement or compensation proved abortive.
But an officer of the Navy in the area, who pleaded anonymity, debunked the allegations as untrue, adding that the leaders of the communities approved the land in question for the Navy over ten years ago.
It was gathered that Oghara people had in their claims through a court injunction, demanded that the Navy vacate their land on which they said they intended to build houses and establish other business.
Spokesman for the communities, Lucky Akormire in a swift reaction said: “In 2006 when the Nigerian Navy requested for the land for construction of a barrack, a piece of land, which was initially meant for the Nigerian Mobile Force, was traded to them but the police relocated to Oghara.”
In the meantime, the Senate ad-hoc committee probing misuse and under remittance of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) has uncovered over N1.695 trillion unremitted by Federal Government agencies.
The committee is also investigating other fraudulent activities in collection, accounting, remittance and expenditure of IGR.
The nine-member committee headed by Senator Olamilekan Solomon Adeola, in its interim report submitted to the Senate on October 19, 2017 said 26 agencies generated a total of N21, 909,831,657,897 between January 2012 and December last year but lamented that a total of N1.695,585,887,406 was not remitted to Federal Government account by the agencies within the period.
It said that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) operated a deficit account of N3,115,495,257,000,000 within the period under review.
A total of 93 agencies came under the search light of the committee.
All the federal universities, federal colleges of education, federal cooperative and agricultural colleges, federal science and technical colleges, federal government colleges and others were also scrutinised.
For instance, the committee observed that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) generated N15,541,690,052,000,000 within the period and recorded a deficit of N-3,115,495,257,000,000.
The implication of the figure for the NNPC is that it operated at a loss within the period under review.
The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) recorded N56,817,976,306.00 as generated revenue within the period while its total under remittance stood at N5,567,831,176.00.
The Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) generate N56,319,706,498.83 but posted N2,907,940,808.00 under remittance.
The Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE) generated N479,115,404,000.00 and recorded under remittance of N70,485,698,800.00; the Sugar Development Corporation of Nigeria generated N16,258,122,423.14 and recorded under remittance of N5,595,130,103.10; Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) generated N30,229,951,000.00 but its under remittance was not stated.
The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) generated N335,855,575, 759.53 within the period under review and recorded under remittance of N83, 963,893,939.88.
It also said 25 per cent revenue of the NCS was not reported.
The committee said the Nigeria Electricity Commission generated N25,422,019,784.70 and had under remittance of N20,319,552,361.75.
Nigeria Nuclear Regulatory Authority generated N4,663,198,042.93 and had under remittance of -827,489,066,.14
The committee explained that 25 per cent revenue paid into the Consolidated Revenue Fund while the remaining expenses were over bloated.
The Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) generated N227, 301, 592,242.00 and under remitted N19,242,300,027.30
Thee Nigeria Shipper Council made N25,405,401,068.82 but failed to remit N69, 322,017,22
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) generated N445,544,388,514.54 and under remitted N33,833,232,873.33.
The Nigeria Teachers Institute generated N13,163,057,006.78 and failed to remit N984,013,375,39 while the Federal Radio Commission of Nigeria generated N6,954,353,171.59 and recorded under remittance of N1,211,179,042.40.
The Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPRA) generated N11,560,619,050.20, remitted N1,965,574,296.76 and failed to remit N1,778,116,748.16.
The committee said PPPRA partially paid 25 per cent of its revenue while it over bloated the remaining expenses.
The Committee said the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) generated N301,160,118,548.47 and under remitted N184,489.203,618.25.
It said the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) generate nil revenue(2012-2014), made a total expenditure of N680,918,000, remitted nothing while its under remittance was put at N6,144,,734,400.00.
The committee said the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) generated N217,104,325,000.00 and under remiited N47,373,814,269.18.
The committee also said the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA)ge nerated N789,029,440,000.00 and under remitted N86,636,886,800.00
It said the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) generated N49,157,057,019.00 and under remitted N636,095,144.18
The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) was said to have generated N3,098,157,000,000.00 but under remitted N13,716,755,284.00.
The Nigeria Bulk Electricity Company generated N1,320,039,182.02 and recorded under remittance of N644,045,677.73.
The report is slated for consideration this week.
Guardian NG with additional report from Nation
