Reps panel ask finance minister to remove FCCPC director over unapproved spending

A house of representatives committee has asked the minister of finance to “remove” Akinyoghan Ojo, the current director of finance and accounts of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) from office, over extra-budgetary spending.

James Faleke, chairman of the committee on finance, made the request at an interactive session on the 2023-2025 medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF) on Tuesday.

Ojo, who appeared before the committee on finance said the agency generated N4.02 billion in 2021 and remitted N1.3 billion to the consolidated revenue fund (CRF).

For 2022, he said N3.661 billion has been generated as of July, and that N1.2 billion has been remitted to the federal government. 

He was immediately queried by Faleke, who asked why a fully funded agency should spend funds outside its budget, adding that the agency was expected to refund 100 percent of its revenue to the consolidated revenue fund (CRF).

In his defence, Ojo said the unremitted funds were used for running costs, which he said were approved by a “supervisory committee”.

Unsatisfied, Faleke said the agency violated the provision of the constitution, and then directed the clerk of the committee to write to the minister of finance to remove Ojo as the director of finance and accounts of FCCPC.

Section 81 of the 1999 constitution stipulates that “all revenues or other money raised or received by the federation (not being revenues or other money payable under…

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