Reps panel gives accountant-general 60 days to automate revenue collection at foreign missions

A house of representatives committee has issued a 60-day ultimatum to Oluwatoyin Madein, the accountant-general of the federation, to automate revenue collection in the nation’s foreign missions.

The house committee on public account also issued a four-week deadline to the ministry of finance.

During its sitting on Tuesday, the committee chaired by Bamidele Salam grilled Madein on revenue collection by Nigeria’s foreign missions.

Madein told the legislators that the previous administration awarded a contract for the design of a collection portal, which has since been abandoned.

She said Files Solutions Limited, a private firm, was awarded the contract for the automation of foreign currency collection in the nation’s missions abroad, noting that the project was valued at N83.6 million.

Madein said the contract included a commission of 1–5 percent, depending on the amount the firm could collect.

She said 90 percent of the contract sum was paid to the contractor, adding that the work was completed.

“The automation of the foreign currency collection portal was launched on 25 May 2023 by the immediate past minister of finance but has not yet been put into use,” she said.

“Our office is in the process of obtaining approval from the ministry of finance to deploy the software, which has been tested. Discussions are ongoing with the ministry of foreign affairs to provide a list of foreign missions for pilot purposes.”

Nekan Olateru, managing director of Files Solutions Limited, informed the lawmakers that the company had completed all the processes on the technology in the last three years.

Following the presentation by Madein and Olateru, Sunday Umeha, a member of the committee, moved a motion that the ministry of finance, the ministry of foreign affairs, and the accountant general should commence the immediate collection of revenue using the automated platform within 60 days.

The motion was seconded and unanimously adopted by the members of the committee.

Consequently, the panel asked the accountant-general to provide records of the gross revenue generated by the nation’s foreign missions in the past five years.