Senate queries Dambazau, Malami, others over alleged abuse of IGR

Interior Minister, AbdulRahaman Dambazau, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami have been invited by the Senate to explain their alleged roles in the alleged misuse of revenues generated from E-Passport production and other immigration related activities.

The Senate had set up a committee to investigate the alleged Misuse, Under Remittance, and Other Fraudulent Activities in the Collection, Remittance and Expenditure of Internally Generated Revenue by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

Also invited are the Accountant General of the Federation, and four private companies, which were hired to carry out the e passport jobs on behalf of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in a public private partnership (PPP) arrangement.

The committee in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday, said “the companies, Contec Nigeria Ltd, Greater Washington Nigeria Ltd, Newwork Solution and Investment Ltd and Iris Smart Technologies working on E-passport production, Expatriate Residence Permit and Alien Card and related immigration issues all had contractual agreements to perform some revenue generating service on behalf of the Nigerian Immigration Service.

Part of the allegations to be investigated is that the companies had withheld a large percentage of revenues that would have accrued to the Federal Government.At a sitting of the Committee, Senator Solomon Adeola (APC, Lagos West) who is the chairman of the committee, aid the decision to invite the various public officials and corporate organizations followed the presentation made by the Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service Mr. Mohammed Babandede on the revenue profile of the service and how various revenue generated, running into billions in naira and dollars, were shared by the companies, NIS and the Federal Government.

Adeola confirmed from the Comptroller General of Immigration Mr. Babandede, that the NIS could undertake the services provided by these companies as a way of increasing revenue accruing to the government.