Senators were sharply divided on Wednesday over the
authenticity or otherwise of the alleged non remittance of N177billion
operational surplus made by the Nigerian Ports Authority ( NPA) into the
consolidated federation account.
As the Senate resumed plenary, a member of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport, Senator Mohammed Hassan
(Yobe South), drew the attention of the Senate to the allegation through a
motion moved in accordance with Senate standing orders 42 and 52 .
In moving the motion, Hassan emphasised that
against the spirits and provisions of the 1999 Constitution and extant laws of
the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), the agency kept to itself N177billion
operational surplus it made from accruing revenues in the 2017 fiscal year
without remitting it into the federation account.
According to him, the committee discovered that the
agency, in its budget defence of the performance of the 2017 budget in April
this year, got N303billion as total operational revenue out of which N125billion
was taken by it as operational cost as allowed by extant laws but refused to
remit the balance of N177billion realised as surplus into the federation
account
He went further to say: "This, to me, and by
extension, the Senate, should not be condoned because the Committee discovered this seven months ago and ordered
the agency to do the needful which it has not done up till now.
"Attention of the Senate is being drawn to
this impunity because six months down the line, the agency has not complied with
the directive of the committee or communicated to it on the matter in
anyway."
Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na'Allah (Kebbi South),
at this point, cautioned the Senate from believing the allegation made by Hassan,
saying there are three categories of income derivable into accounts of any
public agency .
He therefore advised the Senate that it would be
premature for it to attach legislative seriousness to Hassan's allegation since
the figures he quoted are not clear to be in the category of perceived income,
drive income or accrued income.
"Mr. President (Senate president), as a
lawyer, I studied taxation law, so we should not be in haste to conclude on the
submission Hassan has just made," Na'Allah said.
Hassan's allegation against the NPA was further
punctured when the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Marine Transport,
Senator Sani Yerima ( Zamfara West), disassociated himself and other committee
members from the allegation.
According to Yerima, Hassan, as a member of the committee,
did not raise the issue at any of the committee sittings before raising the alarm
on the floor of the Senate.
"As chairman of the committee, I am not aware
of this allegation raised against NPA by Hassan, and I don't think any other
member of the committee is aware as well," he said.
Also contributing, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa (Abia
North), urged the Senate leadership to compel the committee members to meet
over it before bringing it up for general debate on the floor of the Senate in
line with procedures and processes of law making.
At this point, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola
Saraki, directed the Marine Transport
Committee to look into the allegation
and report back within three days.
Also yesterday, the Senate confirmed the
appointment of Mr. Olanipekun Olukoyede as Secretary of the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
This was sequel to the presentation of the report
of the Committee on Anti- Corruption and Financial Crimes headed by Senator
Chukwuka Utasi (Enugu North) for the consideration and confirmation of
Olukoyede as EFCC scribe.
The Senate at a ‘Committee of the Whole’ considered
the report and approved the appointment of Olukoyede, who until now, was the
Chief of Staff to EFCC Chairman, Mr. Ibrahim Magu.
The upper legislative chamber had last Tuesday
stepped down the confirmation of the appointment of Olukoyede as Secretary of
the EFCC.
This was due to the rejection of the report
presented by Utasi by a member of the Committee on Anti-Corruption and
Financial Crimes, Senator Isa Misau (Bauchi Central), who said only three out
of eight members of the committee signed the endorsement page of the report.
In his defence, Utasi said most committee members
could not endorse the report due to their involvement in oversight functions in
other committees.
Senate President, Saraki, at this point, advised
the committee chairman to meet with other members of the committee after
plenary last Tuesday to iron out the grey areas and re-present the report
yesterday.
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