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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu’s nominee for chairman of the Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC), Abdullahi Saidu, has told the Senate that the commission operated without a board for more than 13 years, a development he said undermined its operations and effectiveness.
Saidu disclosed this on Thursday when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Finance for screening alongside six other nominees, pledging to strengthen the commission’s capacity to monitor government revenue and enforce fiscal responsibility if confirmed.
He said the prolonged absence of a board had left the commission with little institutional structure, making it necessary to rebuild its operations.
The nominee also disclosed that the commission, which was expected to establish offices in at least one location in each of the six geopolitical zones, currently operated only from Abuja.
He pledged to work with the National Assembly and other relevant stakeholders to strengthen the commission and improve its capacity to discharge its statutory responsibilities.
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Saidu, however, identified the commission’s lack of prosecutorial powers as a major constraint, explaining that it could only investigate alleged violations and forward its findings to the Attorney-General of the Federation for prosecution.
He said the proposed board would seek a review of the law establishing the commission to strengthen its independence and operational capacity.
On revenue generation, Saidu said the commission would intensify its monitoring of operating surpluses generated by government-owned enterprises and other organisations covered by its mandate to ensure appropriate remittances to the Federal Government.
Presiding over the screening, the committee’s vice-chairman, Senator Lere Oyewumi, who represented the chairman, Senator Sani Musa, urged the nominees to prepare adequately for the specialised responsibilities of managing the commission.
Other nominees screened alongside Saidu were Muhammad Asma’u, Muhammad Makama, Suleiman Gidado, Louis Ndukwe, Amechi Ugwele and Olaniyi Onikola.
