By Adamu Yusuf
Senate Committee on Finance has screened Abdullahi Saidu, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s nominee for Chairman of the Board of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), alongside six other nominees.
The screening was presided over by the committee’s Vice-Chairman, Senator Lere Oyewumi, who represented the Chairman, Senator Sani Musa.
During the exercise, Saidu told the committee that the commission had operated without a board for more than 13 years, a situation he said had significantly hampered its operations.
He added that the absence of a functional board had left the commission with the challenge of rebuilding its institutional capacity.
The nominee disclosed that the commission, which was expected to establish offices across the six geopolitical zones, currently operated only from Abuja.
He pledged that, if confirmed, the board would collaborate with the National Assembly and other stakeholders to strengthen the commission and improve its capacity to discharge its statutory responsibilities.
Saidu also called for a review of the law establishing the commission, explaining that it lacked prosecutorial powers and could only investigate alleged violations before forwarding its findings to the Attorney-General of the Federation for prosecution.
He said the proposed board would seek legislative amendments to enhance the commission’s independence and operational effectiveness.
On revenue generation, the nominee pledged to strengthen the monitoring of operating surpluses generated by government-owned and other scheduled organisations to ensure appropriate remittances to the Federal Government.
He explained that the 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.
However, he expressed concern that some organisations failed to remit the appropriate amounts, partly because of inadequate monitoring by the commission.
Saidu expressed optimism that the board could improve the commission’s performance within a year if confirmed and provided with the necessary support by the National Assembly and other stakeholders.
In his remarks, Senator Oyewumi urged the nominees to acquire the specialised knowledge required to manage the commission effectively, noting that the assignment demanded extensive preparation and an understanding of its statutory responsibilities.
He advised them to participate in retreats with experts and undertake extensive reading before assuming office.
Following a motion moved by Senator Osita Ngwu, representing Enugu West, and seconded by Senator Sadiq Suleiman Umar, representing Kwara North, Saidu and the other nominees were asked to take a bow and leave.
Editing by Khadija Kubau
The other nominees screened 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 consideration.
