Abuja - The House of Representatives Ad hoc committee, tasked with investigating the non-remittance to the National Housing Fund (NHF) and the utilization of funds, has issued a stern warning to the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mrs. Oluwatoyin Madein. The committee demanded her appearance before them on September 7th or face arrest.
The committee made this declaration during their resumed sitting on Thursday in Abuja, where the Director of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) appeared before them regarding the non-remittance to the NHF. Initially, the committee had summoned IPPIS, a department under the Office of the AGF, to clarify the reasons behind the outstanding remittances.
However, the committee was dissatisfied with the responses provided by the IPPIS director. Consequently, they insisted that the AGF must personally appear before them. Although the IPPIS director had brought a letter explaining the AGF's absence, it failed to quell the committee's concerns, leading to a fresh summons for her presence.
Highlighting their dissatisfaction, Chairman of the committee, Rep Dachung Bagos, stated, "We cannot rely on the same person who failed to provide us with the necessary information from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation." He continued, "The speaker has requested a fair hearing, and we do not wish to be perceived as witch-hunting anyone. Therefore, we will grant the AGF another opportunity for a fair hearing."
The Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) had previously claimed to be facing challenges in making their remittances to the NHF. As a result, the committee also summoned Remital, the private organization responsible for handling the remittances, to appear before them on September 7th. This decision was made because the IPPIS director was ill-prepared to answer the committee's questions.
Commending Remital for their cooperation and provision of the required documents, Chairman Bagos blamed the IPPIS for their lack of preparedness in this regard.
Other entities present at the investigative hearing included the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank, Sterling Bank, and Heritage Bank. Chairman Bagos emphasized the need to understand the banking sector's investments according to the NHF Act that established the fund.
During the hearings, Mr. Eke Ogba, General Manager of UBA, revealed that his bank had remitted approximately N2.5 billion from January 2011 to July 2023 to the NHF. He highlighted that while deductions were made and remitted, he was unaware of the details regarding the investment aspect. However, he assured the committee that he would gather the necessary information concerning the investments.
With tensions rising and the deadline approaching, all eyes are now on the AGF as the House of Representatives Ad hoc committee continues its investigation into the NHF non-remittances.