By Uche Amunike
The House of Representatives has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, to probe the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency, NIMASA, over what it termed, it’s reckless refusal to render accounts of its financial transactions in the past 5 years.
This resolution made the House Committee on Public Accounts adopt the recommendations after looking into the allegations of the deliberate refusal by non-treasury funded Ministries, Departments and Agencies, (MDAs) to remit audited accounts covering 2014 -2018 to the Auditor-General of the Federation.
A copy of the report presented but the lawmakers alleged that NIMASA only rendered the 2014 audited accounts to the Auditor-General and was yet to remit that of 2015 to 2018. This was most condemned by the House because of the huge revenue that was generated by the agency from the coastlines. The House saw no reason why NIMASA refuses to be audited.
During the investigative hearing, the report stated that the committee invited the Minister of State for Transportation, Sen Gbemisola Saraki, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transportation and some directors of NIMASA to explain why accounts have not been rendered by the Director-General to the office of the Auditor-General in compliance with section 20 of the procurement act 2007 and FR.No. 3129.
The House stated: ‘the reckless refusal by the management of the agency to render accounts for their stewardship for the past five years now is despicable and is a violation of Section 85(3) (b) of the 1999 Nigeria Constitution.’
‘All those in office that were responsible should be disciplined and referred to the EFCC to refund all monies received by them from the government for the period 2015 – 2019 to the Treasury in line with FR 3129 of 2009.’
The House also frowned against the refusal of the National Social Insurance Trust Fund, (NSITF), to tender its audited accounts in the last 13 years even though it has been benefited from the federal treasury all these years.
The Auditor-General’s office confirmed that the last time NSITF rendered an audited account was in 2005, leaving 2006-2018 yet to be accounted for.
They reported: ‘All Directors-General of the Fund and their DFAs (Directors of Finance and Administration) as well as various External Auditors from 2006 till now should be handed over to the EFCC in line with FR No, 3129 for further prosecution to compel them to refund all money received and misused by the officers.’
The Lower Chambers also condemned the management of the University of Calabar for not auditing the accounts of the institution for the past 7 years. The university bursar refused to stand in for the Vice Chancellor, but affirmed on oath that the accounts of the institution was yet to be audited from 2012 to 2019.
Hear them: ‘Non- rendition by the university is condemnable. The Vice Chancellor and former Vice Chancellors of the university with their bursars should be sanctioned and handed over to EFCC for refund of all monies received by them which they failed to account for accordingly.’
In the same vein, the House has also called on the EFCC to probe the Vice Chancellor of University of Agriculture, Abeokuta and the Director of Finance and Administration. They submitted that the university rendered its 2014 audited account in 2017 and presented that of 2015 in 2018 while the accounts for 2016, 2017 and 2018 were to be rendered to the Auditor-General.
The House maintained that in the case of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta,
‘the university claimed the audited accounts are yet to be rectified and approved by its Governing Council; and delayed approval by the Auditor General to engage their external auditors. Delay and non-renditions by the university is condemnable. For this infraction, the Vice Chancellor and former Vice Chancellors with the DFAs of the university should be sanctioned and be handed to EFCC for refund of all money received by them which they failed to account for.’
