NEWS
How RMAFC Recovered Over N500bn For FG
It has come to light that the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) recovered in excess of N500 billion for the Federal Government from corporates, including some government-owned institutions.
Chairman, RMAFC, Mohammed Bello, made the disclosure in Abuja, on Wednesday at an interactive session with the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, chaired by Hon James Faleke.
According to Bello, the Commission engaged forensic experts through whom it recovered the sum of N14bn between 2008 and 2012.
Between 2012 and 2015, he explained that the Commission recovered the sum of N60.981bn for the FG.
The scoop, however, was made between 2016 and 2019, with the recovery of over N312bn, though the payment was made in the 2022 fiscal year.
Bello also disclosed that the RMAFC recovered the sum of N98bn in September 2023 from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which has been fully remitted to the national coffers.
The Commission, Bello, explained, also recovered the sum of N79.102bn from Federal and eight State Ministries, Departments and Agencies in 2023.
These, he disclosed has encouraged the Commission to expand its operations to 17 more states of the Federation in a bid to recover more revenue for the FG.
The Committee also heard him declare that the Commission recovered the sum of N474 million and N199 million excise duties from two companies operating in the South West region from 2020 to 2022.
Bello pointed out that before 2011, revenues accruing from royalties and solid minerals were remitted into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
The RMAFC boss informed the Committee that it took the it took painstaking efforts from the Commission to create the solid mineral component of the Federation Account, in November 2011.
That consequently led to the approval of a 13 percent derivative fund for States and Local Government Areas, now being apportioned according to the formula adopted.
The efforts of the Commission, also led to the approval of a 10 percent monthly payment from the Natural Resources Development Fund (NRDF), of which 1.68 percent is deducted and kept aside.
He informed the Committee that the Muhammadu Buhari administration approved the sum of N30bn for the NRDF, which is dedicated to the growth of the sector.
Hon Faleke decried the several loopholes through which the FG has been losing money and expressed a desire that the salary burden of all RMAFC Commissioners be borne by the Federation Account.
He charged Bello to revert to the Committee with concrete reports, evidencing which government agencies were culpable, though he didn’t foresee the possibility of real recovery.
He said, “As far as this committee is concerned, all those things you read out are no news. All those figures you read out are mere figures. You have no data or whatsoever to support it.”
Consequently, he directed the RMAFC chairman to provide a comprehensive report of all the agencies from which the unremitted revenues were recovered.
“If you say in 2008 and 2012, you recovered N14 billion, from where? Which agency paid? We need a comprehensive list.
“For you to get back to an agency and say you owe us $10 or N10 million, where will they get the money to pay back? When you accuse them, it means they have spent that money. So, for them to pay back, they also use government money to pay you back.
“You will give details of these recoveries, the N16.9 billion, your N312 billion, among others. We need more details.”
Vice President Kashim Shettima has urged the new leadership of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission to prioritise regional unity, integration and engagement with the Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
He made the call on Friday in New York, United States, while receiving the new ECOWAS Commission President, General Birame Diop (rtd), and his delegation on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, September 26, 2026.
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Shettima urged the new ECOWAS leadership to prioritise regional integration and build stronger relationships among countries across West Africa.
“Beyond your administrative duties, your leadership of the commission must make deliberate efforts to build bridges of friendship across the sub-region. ECOWAS should be at the forefront of our engagement with emerging blocs in the area such as Alliance of Sahel States (AES).
“I urge ECOWAS under your leadership to champion the cause of regional integration and strengthen the bonds of unity and friendship among our people,” the Vice President said.
He also urged the commission to take private-sector participation seriously in the execution of the Lagos-Abidjan highway project.
Shettima congratulated Diop on his election, noting that he assumed office at a difficult time requiring greater synergy and cohesion among leaders and people of the sub-region.
The Vice President assured the new ECOWAS president of Nigeria’s continued cooperation and support, saying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu remained committed to efforts aimed at transforming the regional body.
“My boss, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a man of honour and conviction who will always support efforts aimed at advancing the transformation of ECOWAS as a regional body, and the progress of the area in general,” Shettima said.
He added that Nigeria would continue to create an enabling environment for ECOWAS to succeed and contribute to the attainment of the vision and objectives set by its founding fathers.
Earlier, Diop commended Nigeria for its role in the establishment and sustenance of ECOWAS, as well as its sacrifices for the stability and prosperity of the sub-region.
He said the commission was facing challenges, including insecurity and lagging development, which required Nigeria’s intervention as a “big brother.”
The ECOWAS president described the organisation as a tool for regional stability that should be encouraged and supported, while urging other countries in the sub-region to cooperate with Nigeria towards achieving inclusive development and a better future for West Africans.
The meeting was attended by Foreign Affairs Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Jimoh Ibrahim and senior officials of the ECOWAS Commission.
Kenyan President William Ruto on Friday toured the Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Petrochemicals Complex in Lekki, Lagos, where he was hosted by Dangote Group President and Chief Executive Officer, Aliko Dangote.
The visit comes ahead of the planned September 30 groundbreaking of a proposed 700,000-barrel-per-day refinery in Lamu, Kenya, being developed with Dangote.
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The Dangote Group had earlier confirmed that Dangote would host Ruto during his visit to the Lagos refinery.
The planned Kenyan refinery is expected to expand refining capacity in East Africa and strengthen petroleum supply in the region.
Ruto had earlier said discussions with Dangote and Africa Finance Corporation CEO Samaila Zubairu focused on financing and final preparations for the project.
Dangote is targeting a combined refining capacity of 2.1 million barrels per day through the planned expansion of the Lekki refinery and the proposed Kenyan facility.
The Anambra State Government has released documents showing the payment of ₦363.381 million as the second tranche of salary arrears owed to former staff, pensioners and next-of-kin of workers of the defunct Anambra State Water Corporation (ANSWC) and Anambra State Environmental Protection Agency (ANSEPA).
The development has intensified the ongoing dispute between Governor Charles Soludo’s administration and former Governor Peter Obi over outstanding workers’ entitlements and the financial obligations allegedly inherited by successive administrations in the state.
Presenting the documents as “Part 3: Evidence that lying is in Peter Obi’s DNA,” the Soludo camp accused the former governor of misleading Nigerians over his record on workers’ entitlements.
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“Peter Obi knows we know he’s lying,” the statement said, alleging that the arrears were among workers’ entitlements left unpaid during Obi’s eight years as governor.
According to the documents, the ₦363.381 million payment represents the second tranche provided for under an out-of-court settlement reached between the Anambra State Government and representatives of the affected workers on February 6, 2024.
A memo dated May 22, 2025, and signed by the then Head of Service, Dame Theodora Okwy Igwegbe, mni, requested the release of the second tranche, citing Article 7 of the Terms of Settlement.
The memo stated that ₦363.381 million was due for payment in 2025 under the agreement.
A subsequent Ministry of Finance document dated June 24, 2025, confirmed the release of the funds through Capital Expenditure Release Warrant (CERW) No. 67/2025.
The Soludo administration had earlier paid the first tranche under the settlement, with the government saying the payments were aimed at resolving long-standing salary claims involving workers of the two defunct agencies.
Dispute Over When the Arrears Originated
The latest documents have become central to the political disagreement over whether the outstanding entitlements can properly be attributed to Obi’s administration.
The Soludo camp argues that the continued settlement payments demonstrate that unresolved workers’ liabilities remained after Obi left office in 2014.
Obi’s camp, however, has disputed the characterization. His supporters maintain that his administration inherited substantial salary, pension and gratuity arrears from earlier administrations and cleared billions of naira in outstanding obligations during his tenure.
They have also argued that some of the liabilities involving workers of the defunct agencies originated before Obi became governor in 2006.
The settlement documents establish that the Anambra Government entered into an agreement in 2024 to resolve the outstanding claims and that a second payment of ₦363.381 million was subsequently released.
However, the documents themselves do not conclusively establish that all the underlying arrears were incurred during Obi’s tenure.
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