The Auditor General of the federation has exposed the Nigeria Customs Service of none remittance of N62.2 billion to the federation account in 2017.
Auditor General gave the revelation recently at the National Assembly, Abuja, during the investigation hearing by the Senate Committee on Public Account.
According to the Auditor General, “Nigeria Customs Service under- remittance of revenue to the federation account in 2017 amounted to the tune of N62, 242,980,600.87.”
Auditor General explained that they received two separate reports from the NCS; which include; NCS summary of monthly revenue collection of 2017 and NCS collection and remitted to the federation account, 2022.
However, the Auditor Gen. stated further that in the report of the NCS summary of monthly revenue collection of 2017 , the total collection for the year under review was N691.2 but, the actual remittance to the federation account by the NCS was N629.2billion.
“Audit observe that the two documents presented by the NCS revealed under remittance of N62.2 billion,”
Auditor General noted that the NCS could not provide any further information or footnote to explain the reason for the discrepancy neither was there any communication by the management of the NCS for future reconciliation or remittance. This, the Auditor Gen frowned at, saying that it could be as a result of the weakness in the internal control system of the NCS headquarters which is causing the loss of government revenue, increase of borrowing to finance projects and diversion of public fund.
However, Auditor Gen of the federation recommended that the NCS should be made to account for the unremitted N62.2 billion to the federation account and forward evidence of remittances to the Public Accounts committees of the National Assembly, otherwise apply sanctions relating to failure to collect and account for government revenue in paragraph 3112 of the financial regulations.
Responding to the allegations of none remittances of N62.2billion to the federation account in 2017, NCS claimed that it did not only remitted all revenue for the year under review but rather it over remitted to the tune of N1.7billion
According to NCS, the service operates nine accounts of which eight of the accounts are none federation accounts.
The Customs claimed that they have remitted to the federation account under the Accountant General of the federation through the various accounts , adding that it’s left for the Account General to credit the relevant accounts of the federal government.
” NCS duty is to collect this revenue and post to the appropriate account, it’s not our duty to determine how they are remitted, that is the duty of AG’s office, though out of the nine accounts, only one is the federation account.” NCS boss said.
In order to buttress the fact that NCS has over remitted to the federation account, the ACG Revenue who made the presentation on behalf of the CG said, they collected revenue of N58.3 billion in import duty and remitted N63.7billon. Exercise duty ; revenue collected N45.23billion and remitted N45.812 billion. SEG: Revenue N1.75 billion, remittance N2.06billion and SET: Revenue N47.312billion, Remittance N47.35billion. With the above illustration, NCS is claiming that it total over remittances stands at N1.17billion
In addition, and respond to the claim of over remittances of N1.17billion by the NCS, the Auditor Gen has pleaded with the Senate Committee on Public Account to invite the Accountant General of the federation if they must get to the root of the issue, noting that the two separate reports presented to them emanated from the NCS and despites the queries from Auditor General ‘s office no respond from the NCS to that effect a situation Auditor General said was an indictment on their part.
Core Reporters question the reason behind, the blatant refusal of NCS to respond to the Auditor General ‘s query when they asked, could it be that the NCS is working in synergy with the Accountant General of the federation to shortchanged the government of the accrued revenue that would have helped to finance the budget?
Meanwhile, the members of the Senate committee on public accounts were visibly not satisfied with the defence of the NCS, a situation the Committee chairman Senator Aliyu Wadada Ahmed wonders if this none remittances of N62.2billion 2017 then what would happen to other years not under consideration yet.
Based on this, the Committee adjourned the sitting to March 13, 2024 to enable the NCS reconcile itself with the AG of the federation and possibly liaise with the Auditor General ‘s office again if need be.
Earlier, the Committee chairman, Ahmed had said, ” we have been emphatic on one thing. This is not a committee that is set out to undermine, witch-hunt or pull down anybody because the issues that I’ve got to do with this committee have got to do with all of us. It is centrally about transparency and accountability in management of public funds and if public funds are judiciously and effectively managed, it will be for the betterment of all of us. And so we should know that we’re all in it together. We’re all in one basket,”
