By Tordue Salem
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), yesterday, disclosed that 32 Ministerial Departments and Agencies (MDAs), including the Nigeria Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON), Bank of Industry (BoI) and Bank of Agriculture (BoA) are owing the federal government over N1.2 trillion in revenues they generated but failed to remit to the federation account as required by law since 2016.
The agency’s Executive Chairman, Barr. Victor Muruako, made the disclosure during a press briefing at the National Assembly (NASS).
He stated: “Sadly, many MDAs still persist in defaulting and practically keeping money away from the federal government’s reach for funding its budgets. Our records indicate that over N1.2 trillion is still in the hands of defaulting MDAs.
He said the commission had already designed a template and would liaise with all relevant agencies to deduct from the source, from defaulting agencies which would be enabled by the Treasury Single Account.
He listed the defaulting agencies as the Administrative Staff of College of Nigeria, the Bank of Agriculture, the Bank of Industry, the Cement Technology Institute of Nigeria, the Centre for Black African Arts and Civilization, the Chad Basin National Park, the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, the Gashaka Gumti National Park, the Gurara Water Management Authority, the Hadejia-Jama’are River the Basin Development Authority, the Integrated Water Resources Development Agency, the Kainji Lake National Park, the National Broadcasting Commission.