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RMAFC seeks greater collaboration with EFCC

Published

3 months ago

July 3, 2024

Joel Ajayi

The Chairman of Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) Muhammad Bello Shehu has called for greater collaboration with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC in the areas of revenue leakages and remittance to government and ensure recovery of unremitted/ lost revenues to the appropriate government coffers.

The Chairman made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to the Executive Chairman of the EFCC, Mr. Ola Olukoyede in his office in Abuja. Shehu said,” We are calling on EFCC for more collaboration, not only in the area of enforcement but also intelligence gathering and data sharing with respect to government revenue from any source. “

He further said, “The collaboration with your organisation in the area of enforcement served as an impetus to the success recorded in our recovery exercise. It is therefore important to bring to the fore that the collaboration between RMAFC and EFCC is crucial in addressing the challenges of unremitted revenue to the Federation Account.” Shehu also sought the assistance of the EFCC in respect of capacity building for the staff of RMAFC, especially in the area of forensic investigation.

The Chairman disclosed that his organisation had observed that many Revenue Generating Agencies described as Government Owned Enterprises (GOE) by the office of the Accountant General of the Federation are allowed to generate revenue, spend from it and remit the balance as operating surplus to the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CRF).

This, according to him, is not known to the Constitution as all Agencies are constitutionally mandated to remit the revenues generated in gross to the Federation Account as prescribed in section 162 (1) of the 1999 constitution, as amended, which states that the Federation shall maintain a special account to be called, ” The Federation Account” into which shall be paid all revenues collected by the Government of the Federation, except the proceeds from the personal income tax of the Personnel of the Armed Forces of the Federation, the Nigeria Police Force, the Ministry or Department of Government charged with responsibility for Foreign Affairs and the residents of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

The Chairman recalled the collaboration between RMAFC and EFCC in 2013 when forensic consultants were engaged to recover unremitted and under-remitted revenues collected or deducted from the third party by the banks to the Federation Account covering a period of 2008 to 2015, where N74 billion (Seventy Four Billion Naira) was recovered.

He also disclosed that in 2021, the RMAFC engaged another set of consultants in synergy with EFCC and expanded the scope of recovery to include the Public sector and oil and gas sector for a period covering 2016 to 2019 with the approval of Mr. President. The exercise according to him has so far recovered over N216 Billion (Two hundred and sixteen Billion Naira) to the appropriate government coffers and it is still going on.

M. B. Shehu stated that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission is one of the fourteen (14) Executive Bodies created by S. 153 (1) (n) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to ensure the effective and efficient management of the nation’s revenue.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the EFCC Mr. Ola Olukoyede stressed the need for enhanced collaboration between the two organisations to ensure proper management of government revenue. He emphasized that the country can only move forward when there is transparency and accountability in the conduct of government business.

He urged RMAFC to look into the loopholes in the revenue generation and mobilisation system that allows for leakages and emphasized the need for a stakeholder meeting to address the issue.

The EFCC boss expressed optimism that Nigeria will be better if the right steps are taken. He said, “There are things we have been able to do together within the scopes of our mandate and your mandate as well. Transparency and accountability should be embedded in our public life as a nation. That’s the only way we can move forward.”

He further said, “One of the things the two agencies are supposed to focus on more now besides recoveries is our systems. There is nothing fundamentally wrong with us as Nigerians but with the system that we run here, if you bring in the people that make things work in their own countries to our system here, they would be corrupt. There is an entrenched system here that encourages people to steal, and it would appear as if nothing would happen. Let’s look at our system of revenue generation, the system that allows leakages in mobilisation and appropriation of funds. If we don’t look at the system, we will continue to chase shadows.”

“Let’s get our priorities right. I see no reason why a ministry that has no business with project execution would be awarding contracts. We should look at these areas and scale up our surveillance. In all of these let’s support the President in all his efforts to reposition this country. He relies on you and me and all the people he has put in a position of trust and responsibility.” He added.

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Nigeria Will Take Good Shape In No Distant Time- Olawande

Published

6 hours ago

September 16, 2024

The Gleamer

Joel Ajayi

The Minister of State for Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande has urged the citizens of the country to be patient with the Administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in transforming the lives of its citizens through various policies and programs of the federal government.

The Minister made this submission while delivering his speech at the Joint Union Negotiating Council’s week of the Federal Ministry of Youth Development branch. This is the first edition since both Ministries of Youth and Sports had been damaged. The JUNC week which was held at Atiku Hall, Office of Head of Civil Service of the Federation in Abuja had its theme: “The working people in a volatile, uncertain, and complex economy”

In the words of the Honourable Minister: “I urge you to be patient with this administration. In no distant time, the country will take good shape and the lives of its citizens will be transformed”.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not a pauper, he is an acknowledged epitome of wealth, and so it cannot be said of him that he desires to loot the treasury of Nigeria. He has seen money and as a result of this, he is not interested in looting the nation’s treasury”, Olawande explained.

He emphasized that “leadership is all about being committed to serve. If you are a Minister now, tomorrow you will be addressed as a former Minister, likewise a Director because there is no permanent position but the impact that you made while in that office will speak after you”, the Minister reiterated.

Olawande expressed his gratitude to the workers of the Ministry for being supportive of the government policies and programs. He promised that the welfare of the staff would not be compromised, adding that workers deserve remuneration for being hardworking.

Earlier in his address, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr. Olubunmi Olusanya admonished the staff of the Ministry to put in their best as “Performance Management System” which replaces APER is the criteria to be used for promotion effective next year. This, according to him is because the Performance Management System (PMS) records the best efforts and input of each staff which will in turn be used to grade such staff.

Olusanya who disclosed that the welfare of the staff is his priority as workers deserve the best for the services rendered. He opined that “the hungry man is angry and as a worker, if you are not treated fairly and properly, it is impossible to get the best out of you. As a result, all staff will be treated properly as motivation to propel the best in you”, he concluded.

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Esther Didi Walson-Jack, OON, MNI, in her address, informed that the activity to reinvigorate the Civil Service in a bid to ensure that Civil Servants carry out their duties with much diligence to have efficient and incorruptible civil service is currently on course. She advised workers to wake up and be committed to the service of the nation.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Jerry Akume, the General Secretary of the Union expressed his delight in celebrating this year’s edition of the Union week, while highlighting the achievements of the union so far. These include:

Upward review of staff welfare, prompt payment of repatriation allowances, payment of first 28 days allowance, assistance to the sick, general training of staff, and sending forth/retirement package for retired staff.

He also appealed to the Management of the Ministry, saying that irrespective of the aforementioned achievements, a lot still needs to be done in such areas as procurement of staff buses, upward review of welfare payment for festive periods, consistent general staff training, and procurement of office and work materials.

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