Bleak Easter Celebrations Await Civil Servants As FAAC Meeting Ends In Deadlock

                   Finance Minister, Adeosun

*FAAC Declines To Approve Allocations Over N37.8 Billion Shortfall In NNPC Remittance

*As Minister Reconvenes FAAC Meeting Wednesday

By CLEMENT NWOJI, Abuja

Workers under the employment of the three tiers of government may have bleak Easter celebrations as the meeting of the Federation Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) on Tuesday ended in deadlock.

The deadlock follows disagreement over the remittances of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) into the Federation Account which was short of expectations.

The Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun is the Chairperson of FAAC and her absence, the Permanent Secretary or the Accountant General of the Federation presides over the meetings.

Optimum Times recall that FAAC meeting ought to have taken place last week but was put on hold to allow the clearance of NNPC remittance into the Federation Account. It was rescheduled for Monday, March 26 -27, 2018.

The FAAC members composed of the Commissioners for finance of the 36 States of the Federation, and the representative of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), declined to approve the allocations for the three tiers of government.

This disagreement between the FAAC and NNPC, if left unresolved before Friday, dims the hope of most workers receiving their  March salaries before Easter which begins with Good Friday, March 30 to Easter Monday, April 2, 2018 already declared public holidays.

Further implication is that civil servants under the three tiers of government whose salary payments are dependent on proceeds from the monthly FAAC allocations would have no salaries for the Easter celebrations even after the period until discrepancies in the NNPC remittances are sorted out.

The shortfall in revenue amounting to about N37.8 billion presented by the NNPC is the bone of contest.

Accountant General of the Federation, Ahmed Idris, who confirmed the discrepancies and disagreement, told Journalists that the meeting was inconclusive.

He said:”Obviously, you are all aware that anything that has to do with federation revenue is statutory and, therefore, constitutional and we must always verify our figures to the last kobo.

“Failing to do so will amount to committing illegality and unconstitutionality. It is on this note that we observe some issues in the figures given by one of the major revenue generating agencies namely the NNPC.

“The committee is of the opinion that until and unless these figures are reconciled, corrected, verified and factual; we cannot distribute the revenue as the case is.

“Let me again be quick to inform Nigerians that we are sensitive with the issue and to the fact that state governments may find it difficult without this money. But we have to follow the constitution and the laws for distribution of revenue.”

Meanwhile, the Minister of Finance in a bid to avert agitation by civil servants over nonpayment of their salaries before Easter, has waded in by reconvening the FAAC meeting Wednesday, 28 March, 2018.

Also, she has schedule an emergency meeting next week with the NNPC Group Managing Director, Maikanti Baru and key management over revenue payment into the Federation Account.

The Wednesday meeting, which will hold at the Auditorium of the Federal Ministry of Finance, will have in attendance the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Ahmed Idris; Commissioners of Finance and Accountant-Generals of the 36 States and representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Federal Inland Revenue Service, Nigeria Customs Service, Department of Petroleum Resources, among others.