The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has intensified its investigation into revenue remittances by government agencies, directing the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) to provide details of outstanding operating surplus allegedly owed to the Federal Government by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and other government-owned enterprises.
The committee also demanded explanations over claims that the OAGF deducted funds from the accounts of several Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), raising concerns that the deductions may have disrupted the implementation of key government programmes.
The directives were issued during an investigative hearing at the National Assembly attended by the Accountant-General of the Federation, Shamseldeen Ogunjimi, and senior treasury officials.
During the hearing, the OAGF’s Director of Revenue and Investment, Makinde Mogaji, alleged that the CBN had yet to remit about N5.3 trillion in operating surplus to the Federal Government despite previous recovery efforts.
He added that while agencies such as the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) had made substantial remittances, several others were still in default.
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Defending the government’s auto-deduction policy, Ogunjimi said the initiative was introduced to improve revenue collection by recovering anticipated operating surplus from agencies before the end of each financial year.
He acknowledged, however, that some agencies challenged the deductions, leading to reviews and reversals in certain cases.
The committee also questioned the legality of withdrawing funds from agencies established to provide essential public services.
Committee Chairman, Bamidele Salam, cited petitions from UBEC, the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) and other agencies alleging that billions of naira were removed from their statutory accounts without timely reimbursement.
In response, Ogunjimi said the funds were temporarily used to meet urgent government financial obligations and were treated as loans to be refunded when needed.
He maintained that such withdrawals were carried out with appropriate approvals and that affected agencies received their money once required for approved projects.
The committee, however, insisted that funds appropriated by law for government agencies should not be withheld, stressing that it would continue its investigation into the revenue remittance process and the management of public funds.
