By Gabriel Jonah Abuja

House of Representatives on Monday berated the office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) for failure to adequately track revenue generated by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government and for failure to keep proper records of such funds.

The James Faleke-led House committee on finance expressed the the feeling on the Monday at ongoing 2023-2015 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper (MTEF/FSP) interaction with MDAS in Abuja on Monday.

Faleke had asked a director in the AGF’s office to provide the committee with the up to date records of revenue remittances by the Federal Road Safety Commission, but the official requested for more time to bring the details.

Dauda Biu, the Acting Corps Marshal, Federal Roads Safety Commission had told the lawmakers that the agency remitted over N2 billion to the federation account in 2021, but the records of the Accountant General provided to the committee showed about N1.6 billion.

Faleke who was furious with the response from the AGF office said:

“honestly speaking, we are not happy with the accountant general’s office at all. Your data is what we thought we could rely on to do our job.

“The agencies are here, ready to make their presentation. I don’t have the records to compare with. You don’t have the records and you are telling me that receipts are issued to various offices across the country. It should be automated.

“Please, if you have issues, anything, let us know. We are here to help you, help ourselves as Nigerians. You heard the presentation from the Minister of Finance, N11.3 trillion deficit. So, if we are able to get our revenue from the agencies, the deficit will reduce.
“We have so many agencies that you ought to be taking the money automatically, online. We can’t continue with this being because the Accountant General is unable to provide us with requirements”.

He directed the Accountant General to furnish the committee with details of all remittances from the agencies by Tuesday to allow the committee conclude its work, saying “we are not going to refer any agency for reconciliation of account.

“You issue them receipts which could be fake anyway. How can you still be writing treasury receipt by hand at this time and age? It is very disappointing. We have other work to do and we are supposed to finish the work before the presentation of budget which is coming up in September or early October.

Sada Soli, a member of the committee also expressed concern over the attitude of staff of the Office of the Accountant General, accusing them of always trying to frustrate the efforts of the National Assembly in tracking government revenue.

He said: “the explanations that they continuously gives to the parliament whenever we bring government agencies that generate revenue to run this country, they will come up saying they will go and reconcile.

“Mr. Chairman, you and I know, we are on one committee with you. We talked to the Accountant General. No wonder he’s in trouble. You know. You are the chairman, he couldn’t sufficiently answer some of our interrogations.

“We have a country that is struggling with debts. Yet, we have some institutions with Professionals, well educated people in the Accountant General office who are not able to track our revenue. It is in the same office that IPPIS is compromised. They must wake up