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.
England captain Harry Kane netted a hat-trick to guide Bayern Munich to an impressive victory against Stuttgart.
Kane’s goals, plus one from Kingsley Coman, helped Bayern end a three-game winless run in all competitions.
They faced a tough task against a Stuttgart side who sat back and limited their chances, leading Vincent Kompany’s side to enter the break frustrated and with the deadlock unbroken.
Bayern eventually found a way past Stuttgart’s steely defence when Kane drilled a low effort into the bottom corner from around 30 yards out after Joshua Kimmich overturned possession.
Former Nigeria goalkeeper, Dosu Joseph, is full of thanks to God after he miraculously survived another life-threatening automobile accident recent at Kara, along the Lagos-Ibadan Express Way, where a heavy-duty truck ran into his SUV.
Narrating his ordeal, the 51-year-old, who guided Nigeria to gold in the Men’s Football Tournament of the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, broke the news in a statement on his social media handles on Friday.
“To God be the glory, another death escaped by Grace and Mercy of God. Me and my friend SM were at Enyo Filling Station after Ojodu Berger bus stop to get fuel on Wednesday, October 2, 2024, around 6 p.m. when this MACK truck fully loaded with iron, with registration number LND 470 XX, left the road and crushed my car beyond repairs. Thank God for life,” he stated.
This is the second time the soft-spoken club proprietor will cheat death by a whisker, having been involved in an accident in 1997 that ended his career at 23 and left his spinal cord in bad shape.
He helped Julius Berger win the Nigeria FA Cup in November 1997 shortly a memorable Olympic outing by keeping a clean sheet in the finals against Katsina United. The following year, he was involved in the auto along Ikorodu Road, Lagos, which not only cut his career short but also left him almost paralysed, ending his spell at Serie A club Reggiana.
The former Nigeria international, who also kept goal for Julius Berger FC, said the case has been reported to Isheri Police Station, Ogun State, where the driver is currently detained and the truck also seized.
According to him, the owner of the truck said he can’t fix the badly damaged SUV until after a year.
Ex – Super Eagles of Nigeria, Okwuchukwu Waobikeze has observed that sports development in Nigeria is going down.
According to him, grassroots sports is very important, without it, the administrators cannot get it right. So everybody should key into grassroots sports development, he said.
Waobikeze said this last Wednesday in an interview with sports journalists shortly after the Port Harcourt All Stars Independence football festival (OCTOBERFEST) at the Port Harcourt club, Rivers State.
He explained that for sports administrators to get it right, grassroots development is key. “They should be organising competition at the grassroots level to fish out the young ones for different sporting activities.
“Grassroots sports is very important so the administrators have to go back to the grassroots.
” Sports Development in Nigeria is going down we need to go back to the basics.
“Look at the just concluded Paris Olympics, Nigeria did not win any medal.
” Our football team did not even qualify for the Olympics. We are going down.
” If they should go back to the grassroots, they will get young ones in the games and talents will be developed.
” I started from school games, to youth games before playing for the national team. Now everybody wants to fly board to play professional football and a lot do not know the basics of the game.
” A lot of people did not know the little things about the game, they just want to play. It is not done so,” Waobikeze stated.
Kiadum Edookor