Civil society organisations (CSOs) including Transparency International the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA), Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution have raised serious concern about the N1.4 billion budget for meals and refreshments by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in the 2021 fiscal year.
The head of TI in Nigeria and executive director of Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Mr. Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, described as “irresponsible” “more worrisome” the idea of setting aside such enormous sum to be lavished on irrelevant things.
“While the nation struggles hard to finance its budget, a significant proportion of the budget slips through mismanagement and reckless spending that intrinsically dominates public sector activities.
“It is more worrisome that the reckless spending has been normalised with resultant underfunded critical sector that is vital to efficiently revamp the sinking economic development.
“Given this background, the decision of Federal Inland Revenue Service to spend N1.4bn on meals and refreshment in 2021 is another irresponsible financial decision by a revenue institution preying on weak budgetary process and scrutiny, poor financial management system and inadequate legislative oversight activities associated with the public sector.
“It is more worrisome that despite the under-funded critical sector with increasingly cost of governance, FIRS has not devised appropriate tax justice system to ensure social-justice and equity in the utilisation of remittances to ensure citizens benefit maximally, but requesting a whopping sum to be lavished on irrelevant activities.
“We must be wary of reckless financial decisions that manifest in institutionalised mismanagement and revenue deficiency. This must be thoroughly checked by relevant authorities as common Nigerians are currently suffering from questionable mismanagement of public treasury and high cost of governance by successive administrations.
“While efficient governance is about ensuring that each amount of public funds is spent judiciously in a way that social welfare of all the citizens is maximized, the current high cost of governance that permeates Nigeria’s public sector impedes socio-economic development and shows negative impact on macro-economic stability, job creation and other socio-economic activities that drive growth and development,” he said.
For his part, the executive director of HURIWA, Mr. Emmanuel Onwubiko, said the revelation of a budget of N1.4 billion for meals is not surprising going by the antecedent of the agency as a “cesspool of filth and massive corruption.”
He said the immediate past head of the agency and many directors are facing criminal prosecution for stealing several billions of naira from the public treasury.
“At a time of massive unemployment, mass poverty and high crime rates caused by lack of capacity on the part of the security forces and particularly the Nigeria Police Force that has collapsed due to poor funding, corruption and indiscipline, it is shocking that an agency of the Federal Government can set aside the sum of N1.4bn for them to feed and make merry all year round.
“The FIRS has always been a cesspool of filth and massive corruption going by the antecedents of that agency with the immediate past head of that agency and many directors facing criminal prosecution for stealing several billions of naira from the public treasury, so this revelation of a budget of N1.4bn for meals is a continuation of the heritage of corruption in the agency. This is shameful and must never be permitted.
“There is the need for a clean sweep in that agency because it is clear that corruption is deeply rooted and needs surgical action to eradicate this social menace.”
Similarly, convener of the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, Mr. Ariyo-Dare Atoye, said the proposed expenditure is an “act of cruelty against the Nigerian people” adding that “it must not be allowed to be swept under the carpet.”
He said it does not make for FIRS to swindle the nation using budgetary subheads since its staff are well remunerated.
“We cannot allow a few persons in our apex revenue generating agency to get away with this attempt to defraud the nation.
“They must be told in no uncertain terms that they cannot take Nigerians for granted. Staff of this agency are very well paid to do their jobs; it does not make sense for them to swindle the nation using budgetary subheads. We will petition the EFCC and the ICPC to probe the leadership,” he added.
