The motion, moved by Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Bamidele Salam, was based on preliminary findings from the committee’s ongoing probe into government revenues collected through the Remita payment platform, as documented in the 2022 Auditor-General’s Report.
PAC’s review indicates that the CBN has an undisputed liability of ₦5.2 trillion in unremitted operating surpluses due to the Federal Government for the seven-year period.
The committee also uncovered several inconsistencies, including:
- ₦954.3 million allegedly unrefunded Remita charges collected by the CBN;
- A PAC-calculated variation of ₦11.09 billion between its findings and the bank’s own reported figures;
- ₦3.28 billion due for refund when interest at the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) of 27.25% is applied;
- A total data variance of ₦19.8 billion in the apex bank’s submissions.
Tension rose when Rep. Ghali Mustapha Tijanni (Kano) proposed an amendment for an ad hoc committee to take over the investigation, a suggestion strongly opposed by lawmakers who insisted that PAC should continue handling the probe.
The disagreement quickly escalated into loud arguments and shouting matches, forcing Speaker Abbas Tajudeen to intervene repeatedly to restore order.
Another amendment by Ahmed Jaha (Chibok/Damboa/Gwoza), urging the House to summon the CBN Governor and all relevant agencies before the PAC, further intensified the uproar, with several lawmakers attempting to shout down the proposal.
Visibly frustrated, Speaker Tajudeen reprimanded lawmakers for their conduct, warning against “embarrassing the institution” and threatening disciplinary action against members including Mark Essiet and Kabir Maipalas if the disorder persisted.
After order was restored, Jaha’s amendment was seconded by Akin Alabi (Oyo), and a tense voice vote eventually saw the “ayes” prevail after the Speaker repeated the question twice due to conflicting shouts.
With the motion adopted, the House resolved to summon the CBN Governor and officials responsible for Remita revenue administration to appear before the Public Accounts Committee.
The committee is now mandated to investigate alleged non-remittance of federal revenues and discrepancies from 2015 to 2022, and ensure compliance with the Fiscal Responsibility Act, the CBN Act, and other financial regulations.
