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Commission begins audit of projects across Nigeria soon—Chairman

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The Federal Character Commission (FCC) says it will soon embark on audit of all Federal projects across the country.

Dr Muheeba Dankaka, Chairman of the Commission, disclosed this on Wednesday, in Calabar, at a sensitisation programme for stakeholders in the South South zone.

She said the nationwide infrastructure audit for all on-going and abandoned projects was to ascertain and verify their importance and level of completion.

She stressed that the commission would continue to ensure equity and fairness within the federation and evaluate the spread of socio-economic amenities as represented by the location of projects in Nigeria, and ensure compliance.

She also noted the level of increasing collaboration with government agencies responsible for providing Socio-Economic amenities and Infrastructural facilities.

Dankaka revealed that interactions with MDAs over the years have recorded considerable level of acceptance and compliance with the FCC as regards to distribution of bureaucratic posts.

She said that it was on that basis that the commission had decided to commence the implementation of its second mandate of ensuring equitable distribution of socio-economic amenities and infrastructural facilities nationwide.

According to her, “Various MDAs such as Ministry of Transport, Education, Health, Works, Power and Housing, the Bureau of Statistics and Budget Office of the Federation are now collaborating with us.

“Similarly, ad-hoc intervention programs of government are now working closely with us on the need to imbibe the spirit of Federal Character as they embark on capital projects across the country.”

She further said that the commission was open to collaboration and assistance from other government agencies, External Development Partners, Private and Public Sectors, Non-Governmental Organisations and Civil Societies Organisations.

“We believe fervently that such collaboration, consultations and synergy with the commission will greatly enhance the achievement of our mandate of ensuring broad-based development of the nation.

“Since the policy thrust of this government is aimed at bringing about integrated and balanced development of the country, it becomes obvious that the twin-mandate of the commission can provide a veritable platform for its actualisation,” she said.

Dankaka however noted that the challenges of inadequate data on infrastructural distribution and spread of socio-economic projects in Nigeria have made it difficult to appraise even distribution of projects and programmes.

The workshop has as it theme: “Promoting Peace and National Development Through Equitable Distribution of Socio-Economic Amenities and Infrastructural Facilities Nationwide.”

The workshop was attended by all the commissioner representing the zone in the commission as well as representatives of all federal establishments in Cross River.

The Commission also inaugurated its permanent office complex in the State.

NNPC

NNPC surrenders for forensic audit of fuel supply

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The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd) has offered to submit itself for forensic audit of fuel supply and subsidy management, insisting that daily fuel supply is 68 million litres.

The NNPC made this known on Sunday in a statement signed by Malam Garba Muhammad, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, NNPC.

Muhammad said between January and August 2022, the total volume of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) imported into the country was 16.46 billion litres, which translated to an average supply of 68 million litres per day.

Similarly, he said that import in the year 2021 was 22.35 billion litres, which translated to an average supply of 61 million litres per day.

“The average daily evacuation (depot truck out) from January to August 2022 stands at 67 million litres per day as reported by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

“While daily evacuation (depot load outs) records of the NMDPRA do carry daily oscillation ranging from as low as four million litres to as high as 100 million litres per day,” he said.

He said that rising crude oil prices and PMS supply costs above PPPRA (now NMDPRA) cap had caused oil marketing companies’ withdrawal from PMS import since the fourth quarter of 2017.

In the light of these challenges, he said that NNPC had remained the supplier of last resort and continued to transparently report the monthly PMS cost under-recoveries to the relevant authorities.

On cost, he said the average international market determined landing cost, in quarter two, 2022 was 1,283 dollars per Metric Tonnes and N46 per litre approved marketing and distribution cost.

“The combination of these cost elements translates to retail pump price of N462/litre, an average subsidy of N297/litre and an annual estimate of N6.5 trillion on the assumption of 60 million litres daily PMS supply.

The NNPC promised to ensure compliance with existing governance framework that requires participation of relevant government agencies in all PMS discharge operations.

“The agencies include the Nigerian Ports Authority, NMDPRA, Nigerian Navy, Nigeria Customs Service, NIMASA and all others,” Muhammad said.

He acknowledged the possibilities of criminal activities in the PMS supply and distribution value chain.

Muhammad, however, pledged that as a responsible business entity, NNPC would continue to work with relevant agencies to curtail smuggling of PMS and contain other criminal activities.

He also pledged that the company would deliver on its mandate of ensuring energy security for the country, with integrity and transparency.

Extractive

Nigeria to reinvigorate Inter Ministerial Task Team to implement audited report of extractive industry

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Tanko Mohammed

Accountant-General of the federation Ahmed Idris says  Federal Government will reinvigorate the  Inter Ministerial Task Team (IMTT) set up to ensure prompt implementation of findings contained in audited reports of the extractive Industry.

Idris disclosed this in a statement signed by Mrs Obiageli Onuorah, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) Head, Communications and Advocacy, in Abuja.

Idris spoke when he visited the Executive Secretary of NEITI, Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji .

“The IMTT will now be resuscitated, it will come back to life and will continue to discharge the very objectives for which the government set up that Committee to achieve. The result will begin to come very soon.”

“This is part of the collaboration. We are always supportive of what NEITI is doing and it is equally collaborating with us.

“ We will put hands together to make sure that whatever is due to government by way of revenue, royalty, fines and so on, do come to government.

“We are supportive 100 per cent of what NEITI is doing and we will assist the officials to achieve their objectives,’’ he said

He further explained that NEITI was working in the areas of curbing corruption and plugging leakages in the extractive sector.

“We are here essentially to strengthen our partnership and collaboration because we have a common goal. I feel it is important to visit NEITI to strengthen our relationship.

According to him, the visit also shows the importance AGF attaches to the great work NEITI is doing in terms of looking into revenues from extractive industries that is supposed to come to government.

Responding, Orji described the Accountant-Generals’ visit as most encouraging considering efforts at revitalising the IMTT.

“We want to work with all agencies that take custody of government funds, warehouse or manage them because most of these funds come from the extractive industries.

“The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation is the nation’s treasury house and the Accountant-General of the Federation has enormous responsibilities in that regard.

“I am very much encouraged by the massive reforms that the Accountant-General’s Office has carried out in terms of payment systems that have been automated.

“This has reduced very significantly issues of corruption.  That is why NEITI finds the Office of the Accountant-General a very useful partner.

“When we look at NEITI’s industry reports we are encouraged by the responsiveness of the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation to NEITI remedial issues.

“ That is also the reason, perhaps, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) found the office worthy to Chair the Inter Ministerial Task Team which the Accountant General of the Federation has come here to discuss the modalities for reinvigorating that team.

“That Task Team to us means everything,’’ he said.

The NEITI boss expressed  that in the last five years, the IMTT had not been very active but pointed out that with the Accountant General of the Federation working with NEITI, that Committee would  be resuscitated and help to reduce to the barest minimum the chances of NEITI quarreling with sister agencies on the pages of newspapers.

The Inter Ministerial Task Team (IMTT) is an old initiative of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) set up to implement recommendations on remedial issues in the NEITI industry Reports.

In another development, the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) is to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

The MoU is to define modalities for deepening the engagement with the NFIU in the areas of information and data sharing in financial corruption in the extractive industries.

The Executive Secretary of NEITI, explained that those measures were designed to ensure that those who took compliance to NEITI processes for granted would have themselves to blame for the consequences.

He said that the MoU would also define parameters for strengthening the technical working group earlier established by the two agencies.

“NFIU will also collaborate with NEITI on training and manpower development,” he added.

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FIRS creates tax audit units to tackle illicit financial flow

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By Moses Uwagbale

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has created 35 additional Tax Audit Units across the country to address illicit financial flow.

Mr Abdullahi Ahmad, Director, Communications and Liaison Department of the service, made this known in a statement in Abuja on Monday.

Ahmed explained that the decision was in a bid to stem illicit financial flow and improve tax compliance rate in the country.

The director quoted the Executive Chairman, FIRS, Mr. Muhammad Nami, as saying this at a workshop in Abuja on Monday on Effective Audit of Multinational Corporations for Domestic Revenue Mobilisation in Nigeria.

Nami observed that some multinational corporations were leading in tax compliance in various sectors.

He, however, expressed worries that many rich Multinational Corporations did not pay the right taxes due to them, let alone pay their taxes voluntarily.

Nami also stated that between 2007 and 2017 Nigeria was reported to have lost over 178 billion dollars (N5.4 trillion) through tax evasion by Multinationals doing business in the country.

He also cited a 2014 report by the High-Level Panel on Illicit Financial Flows from Africa, which stated that “Nigeria accounted for 30.5 per cent of money lost by the continent through illicit financial flows.

“At the FIRS we are paying greater attention to tax audit in general and Transfer Pricing audit in particular in order to improve the level of tax compliance in the country.

“As a result, in the last one year, we have created more than 35 additional Tax Audit Units and deployed experienced and capable staff to take charge of these offices” he explained.