The Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory Command, CP Benneth Igweh, PSC, Mni has assured adequate security to the offices located within and around the office of Fiscal Responsibility Commission in the Asokoro area of Abuja. The CP stated this when the Executive Chairman of Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Victor Muruako Esq., and his management team paid him a courtesy visit in his office.
Muruako explained that the main purpose of his visit was to identify with the Commissioner of Police and his good work at the FCT Police Command. According to him, “It is for us also to collaborate for better service delivery and the benefit of Nigerians living in Abuja"
FRC boss further said that "as co-facilitators in this administration’s Renew Hope Agenda, we are poised to help the Command in different ways to achieve timely and transparent police service delivery while also ensuring accountability and prudence in the Nigerian system under their effective security watch."
He appreciated the kindness of the Command in allowing the Commission the services of their officers, who work with the Commission daily. He described them as part of the success story of the Commission.
Muruako further highlighted that Fiscal Responsibility Commission was established in 2008 out of the deep desire to ensure prudent management of scarce resources and to ensure an effective and accountable expenditure system in our financial management framework.
Over the years, the Commission has worked tirelessly towards the reform of the nation's public finance management. The Commission has relentlessly promoted revenue-raising policies, spending efficiency, purposeful resource allocation, and enhanced debt management practices in a transparent and timely manner.
They facilitated public participation in budgetary processes; and monitored FG revenue efforts and the attendant efficiency of expenditure; they have also promoted accountability and transparency in public finance management across all tiers of government.
The Commission has also successfully promoted fiscal discipline, improved budget implementation, and enhanced reporting across FG agencies. They played a key role in identifying areas of inefficiency and waste in public spending, leading to significant cost savings, and improved fiscal performance.
Highpoints:
The Commission has made very significant progress through enforcement of the payment of Operating Surplus and Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) by Federal Government Owned Enterprises (GOEs) by raising the FG Independent revenue to N1.7 trillion in 2023.
Among other moderate achievements of the Commission so far are monitoring of the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) and monitoring of remittances of Operating Surplus. It is also important to note that such innovations as the adoption of the REMITA payment system, Government Integrated Financial Management System Information (GIFMIS), Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS), Bank Verification Number (BVN) and Treasury Single Account (TSA) are all innovations derived from the reform of the Financial Management System and have made tracking of transactions very easy. There are a lot more.
Despite their advertised successes, he identified the following challenges that impede their effectiveness. Without them, they would have done far better.
One of the key impediments facing the Commission is the inadequacy of its enabling law, which lacks provisions for enforcing penalties against identified offences. This deficiency undermines their enforcement capabilities and hampers their ability to deter fiscal misconduct effectively.
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To address this critical issue, they have been advocating for the amendment of the Fiscal Responsibility Act, to empower the Commission with robust enforcement mechanisms.
Some other challenges the FRC Chairman mentioned are Office accommodation, training and manpower development and of course inadequate budgetary provision.
They are, however, very optimistic that following the commitment of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to effective reforms, some of these setbacks will receive attention.
He reflected on the uncommon arrest of the security situation in the FCT since the new Commissioner of Police resumed duty in the FCT. Before this period, he said, the security situation was almost becoming so frightening that no day could pass without one incident in the territory. Such crimes as armed banditry, kidnapping, terrorism, herdsmen, yahoo and drug trafficking became daily news headlines.
Today he said, "We can sleep with our eyes closed as you have deployed your wealth of experience, and the changes today are visible even to the blind.
"This feat must be celebrated because without adequate security there will be no economic advancement of any form. People must be alive and safe before they embark on any economic activity."
Muruako said that he will continue to appreciate the hardworking officers posted to the Commission. He is very proud of them. They are part of the progress they have recorded and hope they are not in a hurry to take them away.
He encouraged the collaboration of different government institutions as one way of ensuring effective service delivery to Nigerians and assured them to continue to work together to ensure the accomplishment of the goals of the current administration. The Commission is committed to collaborating with FCT Command in different ways to ensure good governance and security of lives and property.
In his response, the Commissioner of Police FCT Command, Benneth Igweh, PSC, Mni expressed his happiness about the commendation from the office of the Executive Chairman, Fiscal Responsibility Commission on their efforts to provide adequate security in Abuja and the environs.
He informed the Executive Chairman and his team that security is for everybody and stated that "if you see something, say something". He therefore called on the Executive Chairman and other elites in the system to speak out whenever they see anything.
He assured the Commission that there would be adequate security within and around the office at Asokoro and promised to provide assistance whenever he is called upon for such.
He expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Command over the Commendation by the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
