Sports
FRC Accuses FG’s Agencies Of Keeping N1.2trn Illegally
The Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) says Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government are keeping N1.2 trillion in their coffers illegally.
Chairman of the Commission, Mr Victor Muruako, told newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja that it arrived at the figure based on analyses of the annual audited financial reports of the agencies concerned.
He said that government-owned enterprises and corporations were supposed to remit 80 per cent of their operating surpluses to the Consolidated Revenue Funds (CRF) of the Federal Government going by the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
Muruako added that the payment of the surpluses into the CRF was for the government to generate funds to meet revenue requirements in its budget execution.
He further said that corporations did not pay income taxes or dividends and it was important that they made returns on government’s investment.
“Many MDAs still persist in defaulting and practically keeping money away from the Federal Government’s reach.
“Much more is yet out there in the hands of MDAs that either have failed to dutifully audit their accounts or that have done so but chose not to forward copies of their audited financial reports to the Commission as required by law,’’ he said.
Muruako said, however, that the Federal Government had received more than N2.15 trillion as payment of operating surpluses from corporations since the establishment of the FRC.
“This figure is not cheering, considering the importance of institutionalised fiscal responsibility measures and the quantum of effort that the Commission has expended in this regard,’’ he said.
The chairman also told newsmen that the returns made was achieved through persistent engagement by the Commission and the National Assembly with the MDAs.
He also reiterated the support of the Commission for states to institute mechanisms for fiscal responsibility management and measurement.
He said more than 20 states had so far established Fiscal Responsibility laws and agencies, while many others had adopted alternatives or were at different stages of completing the cycle.
He restated the call to states’ House of Assembly and state governments to take immediate measures to conclude the enactment of the necessary laws and the establishment of the relevant institutions.
Hon Dike who spoke with sports journalists shortly after the flag off the 2024 edition of Chairman’s Football Unity Tournament at Botem Tai in Tai LGA, said the tournament is an annual event to promote peace and unity in Tai as well identify budding talents in the area for global competition.
The opening ceremony of the tournament was more like a carnival was witnessed by huge crowd including prominent indigenes of Ogoni Kingdom, sports lovers and people from all works of life.
The LGA boss revealed that special sports committee will be setup in the area to work out modalities to strengthen sports development in Tai.
He advised the participants in the tournament from various wards in the LGA to play the game by the rules and conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner and use the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Hon Dike further disclosed that his administration will also give priority attention to skills development among the youth to enhance their human capacity and promote enterprise development in the area.
Earlier in his address the Chairman of Tai LGA Football Council, Elder Wisdom Gorgor said the annual football competition has been a unifying factor in Tai LGA that need to be sustained to forge more unity and development in the area.
He urged the participants to see the competition as an opportunity to embrace football as a full career and earn sustainable livelihood.
Elder Gorgor who commended the Chairman of Tai LGA, Hon Dike for his visionary leadership and tremendous development achievements recorded in the LGA under his administration, appealled to the Chairman to build a Mini Sports Stadium in the area to promote sporting activities.
The training was held at the Sani Abacha Stadium Indoor Basketball Court in Kano last Saturday.
According to the Vice President and Head of NBA Nigeria, Gbemisola Abudu, the event was part of the league’s commitment to growing broader basketball ecosystem in Nigeria and making the game more accessible across the country.
“Our first Jr. NBA clinic in Kano speaks to our commitment to growing the game in Nigeria and creating more opportunities for boys and girls to learn and play the game,” Abudu said.
“Nigeria has a rich basketball history and abundance of talent, which is evident every time you watch an NBA game. We look forward to continuing to engage with basketball stakeholders, business leaders and members of the community to further the game’s reach and impact on young people around the country,” she added.
The 2024 basketball initiative clinics of NBA Nigeria also included the league’s inaugural Jr. NBA elite camp for 150 boys and age-16 girls held at the American International School in Lagos in July.
Others include the NBA’s building of 1,000 courts in Africa over the next decade, Nigeria’s Festival Coins and Salubata named the top two winning businesses at NBA Africa Triple-Double Accelerator’s inaugural Demo Day in New York City held last September, and the third edition of “NBA Meets Art,” a curated installation celebrating basketball through the lens of Nigerian art and culture as part of West Africa’s premier art fair Art X Lagos, held in November.
Central to this vision is the federation’s investment in capacity building, evident in the just-concluded one-week Level 1 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Coaching Course, which marked a significant milestone for Nigerian badminton.
Held in Abuja, the course brought together 13 young coaches from across Nigeria. The last time such a course was held in the country was in 2017, making this a historic and transformative step.
The training was facilitated by the Badminton Confederation of Africa (BCA) in partnership with the Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN) and conducted by Dr. Ahmed Radah, the BCA Development Manager.
Radah, impressed by the talent he witnessed, praised Nigeria’s potential.
“Nigeria is blessed with immense talent and a strong badminton tradition. I believe this country has what it takes to dominate on the global stage,” he remarked.
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