A House of Representatives’ report has revealed that some revenue generating agencies have short-changed the Federal Government N8.8 trillion and the report listed the agencies to include; Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC); and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) among others.

The agencies collectively generated N9.3trillion but remitted only N174.9bilion to the treasury between 2009 and last year according to the House report.

The agencies have acted contrary to the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA), 2007 and a 2011 Federal Ministry of Finance directive.

The FRA allows agencies to remit to the Treasury based on their annual operating surplus framework. The Finance ministry’s directive requested them to remit 25 per cent of their gross collection to the Treasury.

Independent revenue derived from Internally Generated revenue (IGR), is 100 percent dedicated to the Federal Government – to the exclusion of other tiers of government.

The agencies were supposed to have remitted N3.06trillion generated in 2009 as independent revenue, but they sent in N46.8billion or 1.53 percent to the Treasury.

The report also revealed that in 2010, the agencies generated N3.07trillion, but remitted N54.1bilion  or 1.76 percent to the Federal Government.

In 2011, N3.17trillion was generated, but only 2.33 per cent or N73.8b was remitted to the Treasury.

NNPC and its subsidiaries generated N6.1trillion (excluding proceeds from crude oil and gas) during the period but remitted nothing to the Federal Government.

A general analysis of the agencies’ submission (excluding the NNPC’s) shows expected remittance of N189billion as at October, last year.

Only N80bilion had been paid to the Treasury (42 per cent compliance), leaving a shortfall of N109billion.

Some of the agencies apart from the NNPC, and NCC are: Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Federal Mortgage Bank (FMBN) among others.

With the exception of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), all the agencies prepared and submitted their audited accounts to the office of the Auditor General outside the time stipulated in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007.

The report of the House Committed on Finance on independent revenue generation and remittances to the Consolidated Revenue Fund by government-owned agencies that was considered yesterday by the lawmakers, however, praised five agencies for attempting to adhere to the FRA to some extent by regularly remitting their independent revenues to the Federal Government.

These are: CBN, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and two others.

 Abdulmumin Jubrin, chairman of the committee presenting the report, said between 2009 and 2011, the NNPC and all its subsidiaries generated N6.132trillion as Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), but remitted no part of it to the Federal Government.

According to him, the money excluded what was generated from crude oil and gas sales.

The report also revealed that the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) provided confusing accounting figures of its independent revenue in 2009.

While N5.6m was declared, when the agency’s audited account was reviewed, another sub-head of N323m was discovered.

According to the committee’s findings and in consonance with the submission of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), most of the reviewed agencies were found culpable of not adequately making returns to the Treasury as well as also preparing different sets of account.

The agencies were found to have always prepared one account for the FRC and another for the Auditor General’s office.

The lawmakers, in adopting the recommendations of the report, mandated the Finance Committee to work on the Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) 2007 within four weeks so as to check various loopholes that enable government agencies spend what they generate without recourse to the National Assembly.

The Committee on Finance is to probe other agencies that were not captured in this exercise to ascertain their status.

“Agencies that have refused to cooperate with the committee are to do so within seven days or Section 89 of the constitution will be invoked on them.

The other recommendations are that: The Ministry of Finance should compel agencies which have outstanding balances to be paid to pay up immediately;

•Any agency found to be spending outside budgetary provisions should be punished;

•All revenues due to the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federal government must be paid as and when due;

•The Accountant General of the Federation should submit to the Committee a detailed monthly report of remittances of Federal Government independent revenue;

•The FRC should sanction any agency that fails to submit its audited annual account as and when due;

• All agencies should henceforth present evidence of remittances into the Consolidated Revenue Account to the relevant Committees of the House during their budget performance defence; and

• The Federal Ministry of Finance should immediately ensure that all funds hidden in various agencies’ bank accounts should be mopped up and promptly remitted to the Consolidated Revenue Fund and report to the Finance Committee within three months”.

The shortfall of remittances of some of the agencies are: Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)-N6.1trillion; Federal Capital Territory (FCT)-N7.7b; Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN-N45.5b; Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN)-N6.9b; Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA)-N1.4b; National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)-N1b; Nigerian Port Authority (NPA)-N11.1b; Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)-N3.3b; Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC)-N211.7m; Federal Mortgage Bank (FMBN)-N300.4m; West African Examination Council (WAEC)-N2.5b; National Sports Commission (NSC)-N3.7m; Standards Organization of Nigeria (SON)-N252.7m; Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC)-N410.9m; Federal Housing Authority (FHA)-N221.2m;

Nigeria Shippers Council-N6.4m; Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC)-N8.8b; Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA)N3.6b; Industrial Training Fund (ITF)-N4b; Corporate Affairs Commission. (CAC)-N2b; Bank of Industry (BoI)-N3b; and Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB)-N1.4b.