FRC Operating Without a Board for 13 Years, Tinubu’s Nominee tells Senators

Abdullahi Saidu, President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for chairman of the board of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), says the organisation has been without a board for more than 13 years, hindering its ability to carry out its mandate effectively.

Saidu spoke on Thursday during the screening of nominees for the commission’s board by the senate committee on finance.

In July, Tinubu nominated Saidu as chairman of FRC, while Muhammad Asma’u, Muhammad Makama, Suleiman Gidado, Louis Ndukwe, Amechi Ugwele and Olaniyi Onikola were nominated as members.

Saidu previously served as a board member of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), having been appointed by former President Muhammadu Buhari on February 4, 2019, and reappointed on March 15, 2023.

SAIDU SEEKS MORE POWERS FOR COMMISSION 

Speaking during the screening, Saidu said the commission lacks the necessary institutional structure and powers to perform its functions effectively, adding that the proposed board would work with the national assembly and other stakeholders to strengthen the agency.

“The commission has been without a board for more than 13 years now. So now this board, it’s like we are virtually going to start all over because there was nothing in place,” he said.

Saidu said the commission was supposed to have offices in at least one location in each geopolitical zone but currently operates only from Abuja.

He pledged that, if confirmed, the board would work with the national assembly to review the law establishing the commission and strengthen its independence and operational capacity.

“I am assuring that, if we go in, we will work hard to liaise with the national assembly to see how we are going to strengthen the Act, which will empower us to do our work independently and effectively,” he said.

The nominee said the commission lacks prosecutorial powers and can only investigate matters before forwarding findings to the attorney-general of the federation for prosecution.

“Because right now, we cannot do anything. We don’t have prosecution power; we don’t have any power,” he said.

“We were told we can only investigate and send our report to the honourable attorney general and minister of justice for prosecution.”

He also pledged to improve government revenue by monitoring operating surpluses generated by government-owned and scheduled organisations.

According to him, some revenue-generating organisations fail to remit the appropriate portion of their operating surpluses to the federal government.

He explained that such organisations were expected to remit 80 percent of their operating surpluses to the Consolidated Revenue Fund while retaining 20 percent for their operations.

“Because the commission is not informed, so they just declare whatever they feel they want to declare,” he said.

Saidu said the commission would strengthen its monitoring of operating revenue if the nominees were confirmed.

He also pledged to examine the revenue practices of agencies fully funded through the national budget.

“If we are given an opportunity and we are confirmed, we will monitor that operating revenue properly,” he stated.

Saidu expressed confidence that the proposed board would improve the commission’s performance within a year, provided it receives the necessary support from the national assembly and other stakeholders.

OYEWUNMI URGES NOMINEES TO PREPARE FOR TECHNICAL ASSIGNMENT

Lere Oyewumi, deputy minority leader of the senate and vice-chairman of the senate committee on finance, who presided over the screening, cautioned the nominees that managing the commission requires specialised knowledge.

Oyewumi, who represented Sani Musa, chairman of the committee, said the nominees would need to familiarise themselves with the commission’s mandate before assuming office.

“This commission you are going to head, it is a very technical commission, quite different from the ICPC you are coming from. And you need a lot of knowledge that we don’t believe you have now, because you are just coming in from various backgrounds,” he said.

He urged the nominees to undertake retreats with experts and engage in extensive reading to prepare for the responsibilities ahead.

At the end of the screening, Osita Ngwu, senator representing Enugu west, moved a motion for Saidu and the other nominees to take a bow and leave the screening session.

Ngwu said Saidu’s responses showed that he has taken responsibility for addressing the committee’s questions on behalf of the nominees.

“What I observed from his responses so far is that he used ‘we’ instead of ‘I’, which means he took responsibility as leader to respond on behalf of the other nominees, and the CVs of the other nominees are with us,” he said.

Sadiq Umar, senator representing Kwara north, seconded the motion.

The committee is expected to submit its report to the senate for further legislative action.