The House of Representatives on Thursday grilled the Executive Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Commission (FIRS), Mohammed Nami over late and non submission of the audited accounts of the Agency to the Accountant General of the Federation, describing the action as a gross misconduct.
Nami who appeared before the Public Accounts Committee of the House, Chaired by Oluwole Oke in Abuja at the resumed Public hearing on refusal of Non-Treasury Funded and Partially Funded Agencies to render their Audited Accounts covering the period 2014 till date to the Auditor-General of the Federation said, he newly assumed office in December last and pleaded for time to get the outstanding ones ready for submission.
The Committee which frowned at the statement of the FIRS Boss, wondered why such an all important Revenue Agency would not have an up to date audited accounts even being the nation’s official revenue collector
The Chairman of the Committee said, “this is very strange, if the FIRS can not produce an up to date audited accounts of its operations, how does it wants the Executive arm of the government to prepare the Medium Time Expenditure Frame Work, to the legislature to determine the annual financial budget?
“Funny enough, the officials of the same Agency will be seen moving around to seal off premises of business outfits over non payment of their taxes
“We are aware that the Executive Chairman of the Agency assumed office in December last year but that should not an excuse for the Agency to have an up to date audited accounts for accountability.
The Committee therefore, resolved to place the Agency on a full scale status enquiry to probe into its operations to be able make amendments where necessary for greater efficiency.
Oke who said that the exercise was not for witch hunting disclosed that this became necessary to unravel what had happened and correct those identified lapses for the nation to forge ahead.
He stated that the Agency was also being placed on status enquiry because of the attitudes of some of the Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, being investigated which had been giving all sort of excuses for not having up to date audited accounts as required by the Constitution.
But the Nami who pleaded to the Committee to overlook the mistakes, promised that the Agency under his watch would make necessarily correction and do the needful instantly.
Similarly, the Committee gave the Management of the Standard Organization of Nigeria (SON) the last chance to appear before it or be arrested and face criminal charges.
The Representatives of the Auditor General of the Federation said the MDAs attitudes toward rendition of audited accounts were gross misconduct and total breach of the law which could attract severe sanctions including jail terms.
James Kwen, Abuja
