Staff Capacity Building: OAGF pledges collaboration with ASCON

The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) is to work with the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) to provide the requisite capacity development training for treasury staff.  The Accountant General of the Federation, Dr. Oluwatoyin Madein dropped the hint when the Director-General of the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON), Mrs. Cecelia Gayya led a delegation from the institution to her office Tuesday in Abuja.  According to a statement by Director (Press) Bawa Mokwa, Dr. Madein said capacity development is essential for effective performance, assuring that Office will sustain a deeper collaboration with ASCON in that regard.    She noted that, “Challenges abound in every position one occupies and every task has its own demands. The complexities will keep increasing and the ability to overcome and achieve the desired result will definitely rely more on the exposure, in terms of skills and knowledge of global trends”.   While reaffirming that staff training is a cardinal policy of her office, the AGF called on the management of ASCON to include Treasury staff in its capacity building programmes on any area within the civil or public service.  She applauded the management of ASCON for considering the Treasury Academy, in Orozo, Abuja as its study Centre, adding that the OAGF will provide all the necessary assistance to bring the idea to fruition.  On her appointment as the first female AGF, Dr. Madein acknowledged that the office comes with much expectation from the government and Nigerians, promising that she will put in her utmost effort to discharge the responsibility creditably.  In her remarks, the Director General of ASCON, Mrs Cecelia Gayya congratulated Dr. Madein on her appointment as the first female AGF and expressed optimism that she has the capacity and experience to succeed in the office.    Mrs. Gayya confirmed that ASCON was willing to partner with the OAGF on staff training and other areas as may be required of it, adding that the institute was working towards making the Treasury Academy in Abuja one of its study Centers.  She said the institute had commenced the training of Chief Executives of parastatals, agencies and commissions, and that the AGF will be included in the next session of the training which will commence in September.

Technical glitch delaying June salary, OAGF tells civil servants

The Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation (OAGF) has said that delay in the payment of June salaries to some civil servants is due to some technical glitches.   Director of Press, OAGF, Mr Bawa Mokwa, who made this known Wednesday in Abuja said, the delay was caused by technical challenges with the Government Integrated Financial Management System (GIFMIS), one of the salary platforms. Mokwa, however, said the office is making efforts to resolve the challenge. “As we speak, the Directors and the consultant in charge of the platforms are in a crucial meeting, working round the clock to resolve the problem. “Anytime from now, the salaries will start dropping,” he explained. Many civil servants have not been paid their June salaries, making some unable to enjoy the recent Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

NNPCL yet to reconcile N8.4trn subsidy claims with OAGF- RMAFC

*Backs Tinubu on fuel subsidy removal The Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) has said that the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) is yet to remit over N8.4 trillion subsidy claims with the Office of the Account General of the Federation (OAGF). Whilst reiterating its support for the recent subsidy removal announced by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his inaugural address, it described it as long overdue and a major challenge to the economic growth and development of the country. In a statement signed by its Chairman, Mohammed Bello Shehu on Thursday, RMAFC stated that continued payment of humongous amounts to a privileged few in the name of subsidy was a major drain on the nation’s scarce resources as the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) had since stopped contributing to the federation account. In January 2022, NNPCL stopped its contribution to the federation account as it was funding the subsidy regime on behalf of the federal government. Experts have over the years described the fuel subsidy regime as being characterized by opaqueness and other ambiguities. According to Bello, the Commission had been consistent in its opposition to the vexatious issue of subsidy removal since the time of late Hamman Tukur who chaired the Commission during the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. As one of the fourteen (14) Federal Executive Bodies established by section 153 (1)(n) and empowered by paragraph 32 (a) and (c) of part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution(as amended), RMAFC has the constitutional mandate to monitor the accruals to and disbursement of Revenue from the Federation Account and also advise Federal and State Governments on fiscal efficiency and methods by which their revenue can be increased. The RMAFC helmsman described the May 29th pronouncement of the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at his inaugural speech, due to the non-budgetary provision for subsidy, as a master stroke that broke the jinx, stating emphatically that it is the appropriate step. “The country can no longer sustain fuel subsidies whose demerits far outweigh its benefits to the citizenry. It is saddening to note that since 1st January, 2022 to date, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has not been contributing to the Federation Account due to the claimed subsidy payments. The total amount withheld by the NNPCL as claimed subsidies for this period amounted to N8,480,204,553,608.13 as reported by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation(OAGF) which is yet to be reconciled by the RMAFC, OAGF, and NNPCL”. He adds that in a situation whereby the records of subsidy transactions are not transparent and crude oil prices are being determined globally, it would be unwise to sustain the phantom payments of subsidy at the detriment of other critical sectors of the economy thus making its sustainability difficult for the government. Mr. Shehu further emphasized that the removal of fuel subsidies will eliminate the alleged uncertainty surrounding the subsidy regime just as it will free funds for the execution of critical national development and human capital enhancement projects such as the provision of an affordable transport system, Investment in the education sector, improvement in Health care and infrastructural development, and resuscitation of domestic Refineries to eliminate dependence on imported fuel, amongst other key sectors. The Commission’s Chairman also poured encomiums on the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari for providing the necessary enabling environment for the successful take-off of the first private refinery easily the largest in the World built by Alh. Aliko Dangote, the World’s wealthiest Black Man believes that when it becomes operational, the country will witness a glorious dawn in hassle-free oil production and distribution in the absence of a subsidy regime. While commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, for his uncommon courage and political will in doing away with the issue of fuel subsidy, he urged the new administration to work out strategies that would cushion the attendant effect of the new policy adding that deterrent measures should be earnestly taken to bring to book all the economic saboteurs who have contributed to our National adversity in accordance with the extant laws of the Federation.