16th October, 2015
Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
Nigeria Federal government on Thursday asked the Governor Adams Oshiomhole led ad hoc committee on remittances by the agencies into the Federation Account, to investigate some government agencies said to be in the habit of remitting dollar revenue in naira into national treasury.
This was one of the decisions reached at the monthly meeting of the National Economic Council (NEC) which was presided over, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, by the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
Some of the agencies involved, according to the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele, who briefed members of NEC, made up of all the governors and some top federal government operatives are the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Nigerian Port Authority and the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency among others.
Professor Ben Ayade, Governor of Cross River State who confirmed this when he briefed journalists after the meeting said a brief report on the Federal Government agencies remitting dollar revenues in naira into the Federation Account was given by the CBN governor.
He added that investigations are ongoing even as he confirmed that such agencies “include but not limited to NNPC, NIMASA and NPA.”
Ayade said the affected agencies are already undergoing a separate probe instituted by NEC through governor Adams Oshiomhole-led ad hoc committee on remittances by the agencies into the Federation Account.
He said that the CBN governor also informed the Council that the excess crude account had hit $2.2 billion as at October 15.
He added that CBN also informed the Council that 27 states have made request for the N10 billion facility that was being processed, adding that the state affected have been advised to complete all necessary documentation to that effect.
“It should be recalled at this point in time that not all states have indicated interest on this ECA collaterised loan.”
He also said that the Vice President assured states that had incurred expenses on maintenance of Federal Government roads and adhered to laid down rules would be refunded soon.
The meeting also discussed the issue of flooding in some parts of the country.
Other governors at the briefing included Darius Ishiaku (Taraba) and Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo).