N6.7trn Subsidy payment: HoR Investigative C’ttee summons CBN Gov, FIRS boss

By Tom Okpe

The House of Representatives Ad-hoc committee, investigating oil subsidy payments has invited Godwin Emefiele, governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Muhammad Nami, chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) for questioning on issues arising from payment of subsidy on petroleum products.

The committee is investigating oil subsidy payments between 2013 and 2022 at the main bowl of the National Assembly on Thursday, issued the summons, following failure of Emefiele and Nami to appear before it.

The lawmakers were furious that the CBN governor sent a Deputy Director, Hussein Kagara while the FIRS chairman was represented by his Special Assistant, Gabriel Ogunjemiluri when such a critical issues affecting the common wealth of Nigeria is discussed.

Moving the motion for the summons, member of the committee, Mark Gbillah (NNPP, Benue) said the absence of Emefiele and Nami showed less concern about such serious national matter, involving fuel subsidy which gulps the country whooping sum of N6.7 trillion in a year.

“N6.7 trillion in less than a year is expended on subsidy. We could expect that the CBN Governor would come here personally to address such an issue and the FIRS chairman as well. I guess they believe this issue is not important enough for them to be here.

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“So, Mr Chairman in my own opinion, I don’t think we should bother hearing any of the representatives of these two agencies that are here today.

“We would like the CBN Governor and FIRS Chairman to be here in person before this honourable committee of the House to address this critical issue,” Gbilah said.

Another member of the committee, Abdul Ganiyu-Olododo (APC, Kwara) wondered why the FIRS Chairman can send his personal staff to appear before Parliament on such a critical issue and the CBN Governor will be represented by someone who is not even a Director, saying it was an insult to Nigerians whom the lawmakers represents.

He said: “Mr Chairman, I want to suggest that the special assistant should go back and inform the chairman, FIRS that the letter written to them requests the chairman to appear before this honourable committee with documents.

“How can chairman of an organisation like FIRS send an assistant, a special assistant for that matter, it is an insult to this institution, number one and sensibility of Nigerians.

“If you look at the seriousness of this assignment; fuel subsidy that involves N6.7 trillion. No, It is an insult.”

Kagara, representative of the CBN Governor had told lawmakers that he can only answer questions relating to technical issues of subsidy payments, when Ibrahim Aliyu sought his competence on the subject matter of the probe.

He also said the CBN cannot print the documents requested by the committee because they were too voluminous, adding that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd, (NNPC) has 200 accounts domiciled with the apex bank and they are being requested.

“With respect to the issue of documents, the truth of the matter is that, some of these documents are actually voluminous and we can’t be able to print must of these documents.

“If all the questions you ask are related to technical matters that concern subsidy payments, I will be able to provide answers here but if they are outside technical aspects of the subsidy transaction then I will not be able to respond.

“For example, in one of your requests, you asked us to produce all the accounts of NNPC that are domiciled with the CBN, are close to 200 accounts with CBN and they are voluminous,” Kagara stated.

Committee chairman Aliyu, also told the CBN representative that there are areas he cannot answer saying; “you see, this is the fundamental reason why the senior members of the management are supposed to appear before the committee.

“We are left with no alternative than follow procedure of the House, where you cannot provide hardcopies (requested documents) and soft copies.”

In his ruling, Aliyu directed that the two bodies, CBN and FIRS to appear before the committee on 18th of August, 2022.