Senate yesterday directed the Central
Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to terminate its contract with Systemspecs, an e- revenue
collection platform used for the operation of the Treasury Single Account
(TSA).
Accordingly,
it recommended that CBN remits N656.5m to Systemspecs as its commission for the
N800bn revenue remitted into TSA accounts from October last year as against
N7.6 bn being collected by the firm based on an agreement of 1% commission
charges.
The
Senate also recommended that N700bn be paid as commission on any
transaction made by them instead of the fraudulent 1% commission charges on any
amount wired into the account by any of the e- payment platforms.
The
recommendations are contained in the report of the Senate Joint Committee on
Finance, Banking, Insurance and Public Accounts that probed the alleged N25bn
commission charges collected by REMITA , an e- collection platform of
Systemspecs through which government funds were remitted into TSA accounts.
Giving
its nod to all the 10 recommendations made by the joint committee which was
presented by the chairman, John Enoh (PDP Cross River Central), the Senate
ordered that the CBN should make sure the portion of deductions retained by it
and the affected deposit money banks be completely refunded.
The
CBN, Senate further directed, must create an enabling environment for other e-
collection providers for competition, effectiveness , efficiency and greater
robustness, even as it directed that all agreed fees and payments for e- collection
service should be provided and disbursed from central pool rather than being
borne by MDAs.
Senate
President, Bukola Saraki noted that the action taken by the upper legislative
chamber on the TSA operation was not against the use of the account, but to
ensure its effective management to save the nation from any sharp practices and
leakages.
“I
think that the message we are sending out today is very clear that our interest
lies in ensuring proper use of funds. This Senate will stand
firmly for that and this goes back to the issues where people wonder about the
usefulness or value of the parliament and I think this is a good example. By
this action, this country is saving between N22bn to over N30bn
which is higher than the appropriation of a lot of Ministries, Department and
Agencies of Government ( MDAs).
“When
motion for this investigation was raised in October last year, a lot of noise
was made that it was just because the Senate didn’t want to support TSA,
but this report categorically applauds the TSA but the issue is that the cost
of doing the transaction should not undermine the good purpose of the TSA and I
think that was what we have done today. We will have tp ensure that the
respective agencies particularly CBN must refund this money complying
strictly with this observations and recommendations of the senate.
“It
is mind boggling to see the kind of money that would have just gone
away to bribing people if not because this motion came. I want to encourage our
colleagues to ensure that despite the kind of blackmail that we received
in doing our work, we should follow the examples that have been shown by these
three committees that when we have this sort of issues we must stand for what
we believe is right.
LEADERSHIP
recalls that the managing director of Systemspecs, owner of the REMITA e-
collection platform, Mr John Obaro, had explained before the joint committee in
December last year that the 1% charge was not meant for REMITA alone.
According
to him, it was shared along with CBN itself and other deposit money banks on
the sharing patttern of 50% for REMITA, 40% for other deposit banks and
the remaining 10% for CBN.
…Senate
Investigates DSTV’s Alleged Unwholesome Practices
Meanwhile,
the Senate yesterday resolved to investigate the alleged unwholesome practices
by Multichoice Nigeria, owners of the Digital Satellite Television (DSTV) pay
television.
Directing
its committees on information, trade and investment to conduct the
investigation and report back to it within four weeks, Senate also directed the
committees to consider summoning the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and
the Consumer Protection Council (CPC).
It
also mandated the committees to organise a public hearing for all the
stakeholders, including relevant civil societies to foster a way forward.
This
followed a motion moved by Senator Isah Hamma Misau at the plenary.
Misau
stated that Multichoice firm in Nigeria had been engaged in negative and
unhealthy trade practices because of its dominance of the Nigerian satellite
television market.
He
said DSTV has severally been in the news for one legal tussle or the other from
aggrieved subscribers, who are dissatisfied with the programming service and
unreasonable subscription hikes across their various bouquets.
…Orders
Contractors To Resume Work On Apapa Road
The
Senate also yesterday resolved to direct the Federal Ministry of Works to
resume rehabilitation work on the road leading to the Apapa ports in Lagos
State in order to clear the gridlock on that route.
The
directive followed the submission of a report of the committee on marine
transport by its chairman, Senator Ahmed Sani.
The
committee said that the two construction firms handling the
rehabilitation of the main road leading to the Apapa port left the site,
because the ministry was owing them N11.7 bn.
In
its report, the panel noted that the contractors handling construction of
the Trunk Holding Bay had also abandoned work because the firm was being owed
N1.5bn.
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