Reps Set Up Committee To Unravel Causes Of Plateau Crises

The House of Representatives has resolved to set up a committee to investigate the causes of the incessant terrorist attacks in Mangu, Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Riyom Local areas of Plateau State.

The resolution followed a motion of urgent public importance moved jointly by Rep. Ishaya David Lalu and Rep. Dalyop Fom Chollom at the plenary on Tuesday.

Presenting the motion, the lawmakers said there was an attack on the People of Mangu LGA on 24th January, 2024, killing more than 50 persons while others were seriously injured.

They added: “Over 1,000 Houses and properties worth billions of naira completely destroyed with about 20, 000 people displaced at different internally displaced persons (IDP’s) camps within and outside the area.

“Most of the victims that sustained various degrees of injuries are currently receiving medical attention at different hospitals within the State.

“The continuous attacks by the terrorist in said LGA need to be addressed immediately”.

The House urged the Chief of Defence Staff to establish a civilian joint task force in Plateau state and mandate the Committees on defence and legislative compliance to ensure compliance.

They are expected to furnish the House with a weekly report until the insecurity is brought under control.

…Quiz Customs over non-submission of audited reports

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives has quizzed officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) over non-submission of its audited financial statements for the 2016, 2017, and 2018 financial years to the Auditor General to the federation.

This followed the appearance of the Controller General (CG) of Customs, Basir Adewale Adeniyi and some senior officers before the Committee on Tuesday, over the queries raised by the Auditor General to the Federation on the 2017 audited report.

The Auditor General had queried the NCS over alleged “under-remittance of revenue into the federation account for the year 2017 in sum of N62,242,980,006.87,  discrepancies in reported revenue figures, resulting in under-remittance of revenue of sum N63,601,805,270.67, under-disclosure of outstanding remittance for the year 2016 to sum N10,473,681.51, non-maintenance of bank statements and bank reconciliation statements, non-maintenance of revenue collectors receipt, Violation of E-payment policy of the federal government of sum N2,654,500.00 and Non-submission of audited financial statements for 2016,2017 and 2018 financial years”.

Chairman of the Committee, Rep.Bamidele Salam (PDP, Osun) demanded explanation from the Customs boss over the queries by the Auditor General’s office as regards to the alleged infractions.

Responding, the CG informed the Committee that only the Common External Tariff is remitted into the Federation account by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) while others are remitted into other accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

He stated that, there was no under-remittance of N62.242 billion, but an over remittance of N1.170 billion into the federation account.

He said, all accounts were closed and the revenues collected are remitted directly to the CBN and the statements are accessed at the customs headquarters through CBN’s Transaction Query System(TQS).

Documents submitted to the Committee revealed that the audited financial statements for 2016, 2017, and 2018 financial years were presented to the Auditor General for Federation in 202.

Members of the Committee expressed their displeasure over the submission of audited financial statements for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 financial years at appropriate times.

Chairman of the Committee, Bamidele Salam, ordered the Auditor General to present documents on other queries raised against the NCS which include alleged “Splitting of contracts to circumvent tenders procedures to sum of N38,120,000.00, Payment vouchers without prevent supporting document to sum of N22,396,768.00 and Unretired cash advances in the sum of N12,431,199.63”.

The lawmakers unanimously agreed to allow the NCS to come for the defence of the other queries raised against it by the Auditor General’s office on another date.