The House of Representative Committee on Public Accounts has placed the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) on full Status Enquiry, over non submission of audited accounts from 2015 to 2018 to the Auditor General of the Federation.
The Committee made the decision Tuesday at the resumed hearing on the; “Deliberate and Reckless Refusal By Non Treasury and Partially Funded Agencies” to render their audited accounts from 2014 to 2018.”
The Committee had summoned the Minister of State Transportation, Gbemi Saraki to explain the continued disregard of the invitation of the committee by the Director-General of the Nigeria Maritime and Safety Administration, Dakuku Peterside.
Saraki when asked the reason for the non submission of the audited accounts of the agency, appealed to the Committee to give theNIMASA Director General an opportunity to appear before it and explain what is going on.
She however, agreed with the decision of Committee that the agency should be placed on status enquiry, hence it’s behavior is totally unacceptable to the Ministry and in her capacity as a former lawmaker.
NIMASA Executive Director, Finance and Accounts, Bashir Jamiu, when queried told the Committee that the agency does not have a management account from 2012, hence it could not generate audited accounts for a number of years.
“We cannot submit an audit from when we started. We must get the closing balance as at the last time we submitted the audit,” he said
Responding, the Committee Chairman, Oluwole Oke said that it is very embarrassing for an agency like NIMASA not to have a management account from 2012 to 2018 and resolved that the agency be subjected to full status enquiry.
James Kwen, Abuja
