House Grills NIS Over Alledged Financial Irregularities

The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee, PAC, has grilled the Nigerian Immigration Service, NIS, over alleged financial irregularities and failure to submit audited accounts from 2014 to 2023.

The Committee, chaired by Bamidele Salam, queried the NIS for spending N2 billion on a furnishing project, exceeding its threshold of N100 million.

The NIS was also accused of failing to provide a Federal Executive Council, FEC, approval for the contract.

The Committee’s investigation revealed that the NIS awarded a contract valued at N2.01 billion to Julius Berger Nigeria Limited for the furnishing of the NIS Technology Building in Abuja.

However, the required stamp duty was not deducted from the payment.

The NIS was given seven days to recover the N15 million stamp duty and remit it to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

The Service was also directed to provide evidence of the remittance and submit proof of the rendition of its audited accounts for the period 2014 to 2023.

The Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the NIS’s responses, describing them as inconsistent and inadequate.

The Comptroller General of the NIS was directed to appear before the Committee on February 25, 2025, alongside the Director of Finance and Accounts.

The Nigerian Immigration Service has been accused of violating financial regulations related to contract awards and account renditions.

The Service has also been accused of failing to comply with the Fiscal Responsibility Commission’s regulations on the submission of audited accounts.

Oduyemi Odumade, Edited By Grace Namiji