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Tag: Accountant General of the Federation

Civil servants will be paid promotion arrears, says AGF

Civil servants in the Country have been assured that their promotion arrears will be paid as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Civil servants have been clamouring for the payment of their promotion arrears some of which has lingered on for years.

The assurance was given by the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris when he played host to the National Executive of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria in his office in Abuja.

Ahmed Idris revealed that “following Mr. President’s directive that N10 billion be set aside monthly, commencing from May 2017 to offset backlog of Promotion Arrears, the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) has inaugurated an in-house committee to verify MDAs’ claims and submissions.”

READ ALSO: ICPC recovers N594b from civil servants

According to a statement issued by the OAGF and signed by Oise D. Johnson, Head of Press and Publicity OAGF, the AGF noted “the Committee has saved over N37 billion from misapplications, paddings, mistakes and non-compliance by MDAs to the agreed template” with regards to promotion matters

Also, “the committee has paid out the sum of N42 billion, out of the N55 billion released leaving an outstanding of N13 billion in cash while a total of N35 billion is yet to be released to the office,” he said.

Furthermore, the AGF promised that he will bring the concerns of the Association to the notice of the Minister of Finance and will also dialogue with the Director General Budget Office, to ensure that Government continues to keep its part of the agreement reached with Association in order to ensure industrial harmony.

April 16, 2019
Labour strike will deny workers their salaries, warns AGF

The Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), Mr Ahmed Idris has warned that continued labour unrest in the country would deny workers their salaries.

According to a statement issued last night and signed by Ifeanyi Okereke, Head of Press and Public Relations (OAGF), Mr. Ahmed Idris said that “The payment of salaries cannot be achieved in an atmosphere where the critical stakeholders are not allowed access to their offices.”

The AGF noted that “Salary payment involves a number of processes that do not begin and end with the OAGF. There are other critical stakeholders like the Cash Management Department in Ministry of Finance and others who are supposed to do their beat before we can finalize.”

“We have a standing order from Mr. President to pay workers’ salaries from the 25th of every month, which we have striven hard to fulfill to Nigerian workers and this month will not be an exception” maintained the AGF.

Ahmed Idris stated that, “On coming to the office this morning (Thursday) we met the gates of the office locked and wondered how we can keep this promise if we are being locked out of the office. After speaking with the local arm of the Labour in the office on the need to pay salaries, they conceded to allow me and some of my staff in but the Gates are still locked. I therefore appeal to labour to open our gates so that we can have unhindered access to meet their needs”.

Read Also: Labour strike: There is total compliance – NLC

The AGF further appealed to the National Leadership of Labour to reconsider their stand on the on-going strike saying that the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari more than ever has demonstrated high commitment towards meeting the welfare of the Nigerian Workers.

Mr Idris therefore urged Labour to trust President Muhammadu Buhari “and return to the path of discussion, and negotiation, as the President has demonstrated enough commitment by setting up the tripartite committee. The committee which is headed by Ms Amal Pepple is saddled with the responsibility of consulting widely with stakeholders with a view to coming up with a realistic and acceptable minimum wage.”

He further cautioned that “we are all working for the same system and we should do nothing that could threaten the economy and lead to the collapse of the same system”

It will be recalled that the AGF had at the end of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee meeting (FAAC), on Wednesday 26th September, promised that salaries of Federal Government Workers will be paid.

September 27, 2018
FG, states, LGA share N415b

…Excess crude account now $2.29b

The Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) Tuesday shared N415.730billion among the three tiers of government- federal, states and Local Government Areas (LGAs) for the month of April 2017.

According to the Accountant General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed, who made the announcement after the meeting in Abuja, the gross statutory revenue of N274.100 billion received for the month was lower than the N331.583billion received in the previous month.

He said that “we have a balance in the Excess Crude Account as at 23rd of May 2017 of $2.299billion. We also have a balance in the Excess PPT, which is Petroleum Profit Tax, excess account as at 23rd May, 2017 of $67million.”

He explained that there was significant increase in Export Sales Revenue by about$63.69 million due to increase in the average unit price of crude oil from $52.38 per barrel and a rise in crude in oil export volume by 1.07 million barrels.

He added that despite the improvement, production still suffered the perennial setbacks.
His words: “Leakages arising from sabotage and programmed maintenance led to shut-ins and shut-downs at terminals. The Force Majeure declared at Forcados Terminal since February, 2016 was still in place.”

Ahmed noted that the “distributable statutory revenue for the month is N272.115biooion. The sum of N6.330billion was refunded by NNPC to FGN. There is apropos end distribution of N20.425 billion from the Excess PPT Account. Also, exchange gain of N38.517billion is proposed for distribution. The total revenue for the current month (including VAT) is N415.730billion.”

Speaking, the chairman, Commissioner of Finance Forum, Alhaji Yunusa Mahamud gave the assurance that the nation’s economy was recovery from recession.

He said that the recession has become a blessing in disguise as most of the states have taken the opportunity to improve their internally revenue generation.

According to him, there is now improvement in the security in the Niger Delta and the level of stability in the crude oil market.

May 23, 2017
FG extends tenure of 2016 budget capital elements

The Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Idris Ahmed has issued a Circular extending the tenure of the Capital elements of the 2016 Budget until May 5, 2017 or the passage of the 2017 Budget, whichever is the earliest, Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun has announced.

Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies have been urged to take note of the content of the Circular.

March 30, 2017
CBN, SEC, others fingered in N450bn un-remitted operating surpluses

The Federal Ministry of Finance said it constituted a committee to recover unremitted operating surpluses of agencies of government, running into N450billion.

The committee led by the Accountant General of the Federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, was mandated to reconcile the operating surpluses of 31 revenue-generating agencies of government for the period 2010-2015.

A statement from ministry of finance signed by Festus Akanbi, Special Assistant, media to the finance minister said “the findings of the committee so far, have shown under-remittance of over N450 billion, which has accrued within the period.”

The Finance Ministry stated that staff of the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation have critically reviewed the accounting statements of these agencies, which include the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Petroleum Technology Development Fund, (PTDF), National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), among others.

The Committee will therefore be inviting the management of these agencies to explain why their operating surpluses have not been remitted as mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act 2007.

Some of these agencies the ministry said “have incurred huge expenses on overseas training and medicals, and huge expenses on behalf of supervisory ministries and/other organs of government involved in oversight or regulatory functions without appropriate approval.”

Other infractions include payment of salaries and allowances to staff and board members, governing councils, and commissions which are outside or above the amount approved by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC) and the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

The list also includes unacceptable expenses incurred on donations, sponsorships, etc; unfavourable contract signed for revenue collection by a third party; granting of staff loans that have not been repaid as well as sale and transfer of assets to board members, among others.

According to the Finance Ministry, the overall effect of these practices is that operating surpluses of these agencies are lower than should be.

As a result of this, the Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun has directed the Accountant General of the Federation to issue a circular that will limit allowable expenses that can be spent as part of measures to ensure these agencies face strict monitoring.

This development the statement said is part of the resolve of the Minister to ensure that leakages are tackled.

November 15, 2016