FRC operated without board for over 13 years, nominee tells senate

ABUJA — President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for chairman of the board of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Abdullahi Saidu, has told the Senate that the commission has operated without a board for more than 13 years, a situation he said has hindered its operations.

Saidu spoke on Wednesday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance for screening alongside six other nominees.

He said the absence of a board had left the commission with significant institutional challenges, adding that the incoming board would have to rebuild its operations if confirmed.

Saidu said the commission was expected to establish offices in at least one location in each of the six geopolitical zones but currently operated only from Abuja.

He pledged to work with the National Assembly and other stakeholders to strengthen the commission and improve its capacity to discharge its mandate.

The nominee also disclosed that the commission lacked prosecutorial powers, explaining that it could investigate cases and forward its findings to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice for prosecution.

He said the proposed board would seek a review of the law establishing the commission to strengthen its independence and operational capacity.

Saidu further pledged to improve government revenue by strengthening the monitoring of operating surpluses generated by government-owned and other organisations covered by the commission’s mandate.

According to him, some revenue-generating organisations fail to remit the appropriate share of their operating surpluses to the Federal Government.

He said such organisations were expected to remit 80 per cent of their operating surpluses to the Consolidated Revenue Fund while retaining 20 per cent for their operations.

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

Saidu assured the committee that, if confirmed, the board would strengthen monitoring to ensure that the appropriate revenues were declared and remitted.

He expressed confidence that the commission’s performance could improve within a year, provided it received the necessary support from the National Assembly and other stakeholders.

The screening was presided over by Senator Lere Oyewumi, vice-chairman of the committee, who represented its chairman, Senator Sani Musa.

Addressing the nominees, Oyewumi said managing the commission required specialised knowledge and preparation, noting that the assignment differed from other public service roles.

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

Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West, moved a motion for Saidu and the other nominees to take a bow and leave, while Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar, representing Kwara North, seconded the motion.

The other nominees screened alongside Saidu were Muhammad Asma’u, Muhammad Makama, Suleiman Gidado, Louis Ndukwe, Amechi Ugwele and Olaniyi Onikola.

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