Officials of the Ministry of Interior and Messes Continental Transfect Technique Limited have been dragged to Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over N3.9 billion deducted from Combined Residence Permit Alien Card (CERPAC).
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), which dragged the officials to the EFCC, explained that the contract in question was between the Ministry of Interior and Messes Continental, adding that the Immigration was included in the deal as a mere enforcing agency on behalf of the Ministry of Interior.
The Comptroller General of NIS, Muhammad Babandede made this disclosure when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Public Account to defend the querry issued against the agency on Wednesday.
The Comptroller General said that the money should be collected from those involved in the collection.
He disclosed that they have written to the EFCC on the matter, that the money they collected from those centres should be recovered.
The Auditor General in his querry had said, “an agreement for combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) was entered into between the Federal Ministry of Interior at Area 1, Garki Abuja and the company on 25th May, 1999.
“The purpose of this contract was to replace the paper Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens card in use with combined special purpose card that would ensure computer legibility and 21st century computer compatibility.
“Appliacy would pay $350, which formed the basis for sharing ratio as follows: Federal government – 50 percent, contractor -40 percent, designated account of the Ministry as operation cost -10 percent.
“The following irregularities were observed – FGN-20 percent, contractor -40 percent, contractor -25 percent, contractor -7 percent, NIS-7 percent and Ministry of Interior -1 percent.
“As at December 2015 physical audit inspection revealed that nothing had been done at new issuing centers in 28 states command, even after N3.9 billion had been deducted or set aside from sharing ratio purpose between 2014 and 2015.
“The actual cost for the establishment of the 28 new issuing centers was not stated in contract agreement.
“The duration of the contract of the project, the eventual cost implication and the date the prior to 45 percent of the ratio will revert back to the federal government is not know and was not stated
“CG has been requested to address irregularities mentioned as well as account for N3.9 billion already deducted forwarding evidence of action taken for audit verification.”
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