MUSA BABA AHMED JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Aviation Tuesday continued with its budget defence of agencies under its purview with a discovery that the Nigeria Metreological Agency (NIMET) made double capital allocations to the tune of N180million.
The committee also queried the agency over its attitude of generating revenues in dollars and remitting to the government in naira without actually disclosing how much of the dollar it earned and at what exchange rate it remitted to government.
A member of the committee, Hon. Magaji Dau-Aliyu had raised the question as to why the agency would propose a capital allocation of N85million in Federal Government budget and then N95million in Internally Generated Revenue under the same sub-head in the 2016 budget.
Responding on behalf of the agency, the Director of Finance and Admin, Mr. Rueben Jiya said: “If we make allocation for capital in FGN budget and it doesn’t come, the double provision in IGR would have taken care of it without letting it suffer”.
However, asked what happens when the FGN approves and releases the sum allocated, he said there would be reconciliation. How such reconciliation is done and what happens to the surplus, the agency couldn’t explain.
The committee therefore insisted the projects must be fully situated, costed and sent back with appropriate figures assigned to FGN with the remainder taken to the IGR for funding, otherwise, the proposal would be rejected.
Committee chairperson, Hon. Nkeiruka Onyejeocha told the agency that the committee would not entertain a situation were projects initiated and started by the past Administration would be discontinued and abandoned.
She also queried the agency’s decision to make provision for new projects in 2016 when there are still ongoing and uncompleted projects needing attention.
She said the committee desires a functional and efficient Aviation sector that would be the envy of all around the world.
As to what denomination the agency gets paid it’s revenue, the Director General, Dr. Anthony Anofurum said some in part of the payment are made in naira while others are in dollars.
But asked why all the submissions made are in naira, his Fianance Director, Mr. Jiya said it was converted – and at what rate, he said “at the official rate”.
The lawmakers asked further, how much? He said, “there are different official exchange rates”. This made the Committee to demand the rate at which the dollars were exchanged and what the difference was; given insinuations that agencies hide their dollar revenues from government, the agency asked for time to do the reconciliation.
The DG and his team were therefore directed to effect the necessary corrections and return the document by Friday.