Reps to Investigate Funds Collected from NITDA by FIRS

The House of Representatives yesterday passed a resolution to investigate the funds collected from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), from 2010 to 2015 by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

This followed the adoption of a motion raised by the Committee Chairman on ICT, Mohammed Onawo (PDP, Nasarawa).

Mr. Onawo alleged that a whopping N1 billion was reported by NITDA as “having been debited based on the instructions of the Minister of Finance” without sufficient documentation of due evidential value, regardless of the provisions of its enabling Act as a development agency.”

“It has become difficult to locate a reliable record of all outstanding collections due to NITDA, and to confirm the amount of unmerited funds due from FIRS to NITDA.”

He added that the poor collection and remittance mechanism into the National Information Technology Development Fund, NITDF, may have led to significant revenue shortfall for NITDA, thus affecting its ability to effectively deliver on National Information Technology Development expectations.

After the motion was passed, the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, mandated the Committees on ICT and Finance to investigate the matter and other related issues and report back within eight weeks for further legislative action.