Consultants hired by interior ministry extorting foreigners, says Falana

Femi Falana, human rights lawyer, says consultants hired by the ministry of interior, are extorting foreigners resident in the country.

Falana’s allegation was contained in a letter he addressed to Zainab Ahmed, finance minister, dated January 29.

The lawyer said the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC) fee was $1,000 per annum but it was increased to $2,000 in December 2018 when the consultant applied for it “within two.”

While noting that Nigeria charges the highest CERPAC fees in “the world”, he said the increase is not captured in the 2018 budget.

“We are compelled to draw your attention to the criminal diversion of public funds and extortion of foreigners resident in Nigeria by the foreign consultants engaged by the federal ministry of interior to collect the Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC) fee contrary to all known rules and regulations of the federal republic of Nigeria,” Falana said.

“One of the foreign consultants is a company known as Continental Transfer Technique, owned by an Indian national.

“Whereas the fees payable by foreigners resident in Nigeria was $1,000 per person per annum, the foreign consultants, applied to the Minister of Interior to increase it to $2,000 in December 2018. And within two days of applying for the increase, the minister of interior granted the request.”

He said the engagement of foreign consultants to collect CERPAC fee is in contravention with President Muhammadu Buhari executive order 5.

“All foreigners resident in Nigeria are made to pay the CERPAC fee at the exchange rate of N370 per Dollar contrary to the provisions of sections 5 and 20 of the Central Bank of Nigeria (Establishment) act LFN 20041 which stipulate that the unit of currency in Nigeria shalt be divided into One Hundred Kobo and that the currency note issued by the Central Bank shall be the legal tender for the payment of any amount,” Falana said.

“The most fraudulent aspect of the illegal increase is that out of the huge revenue realized from the payment of the CERPAC fee, only 30 per cent of it is paid to the Federal Government at the official rate of N306 per dollar white the foreign consultants are allowed to pocket the remaining 70 percent.

“It may interest you to know that the foreign consultants have been directed by the minister of Interior to pay the said 30 percent into a dedicated account in a commercial bank in flagrant contravention of the federal government’s policy on treasury single account which unifies government accounts to enable the federal ministry of finance to maintain oversight of government cash.

“In view of the foregoing, we hereby request you to use your good offices to stop the illegal increase of the CERPAC fee of $1,000 to $2,000 direct that the naira equivalent of the approved CERPAC Fee of $1,000 be paid directly into the Account of the Federal Government in line with the TSA policy white the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission is directed to recover the fund that has been criminally diverted through the foreign cinsuttants engaged by the ministry of interior to collect the CERPAC fee on behalf of the federal government.”

M.D Manga, director press at the interior ministry, declined to comment on the allegations, when contacted by TheCable.