Reps summon AGF, justice, finance ministers over N8bn judgment debts

Bola Badmus, Abuja - 04.01.2008

House of Representatives has summoned the Finance Minister, Dr. Samshudeen Usman; his justice ministry counterpart, Mr. Michael Aaondoakaa (SAN); and the Accountant-General of the Federation, Alhaji Ibrahim Dankwabo, to appear before it on Monday over failure to capture debts accrued from judgment against the Federal Government in the 2008 budget proposals.

Chairman, House Committee on Justice, Honourable Henry Dickson, who expressed displeasure over the issue, said the House was not pleased that the affected government officials failed to reflect the said amount running into several billions of naira.

The amount included N8 billion, $12 million as well as 2.5 million pounds outstanding through various court judgments delivered against Nigeria within and outside the country.

According to the chairman, the refusal of some government ministries and agencies to furnish the National Assembly with relevant data and information had delayed the passage of the 2008 budget.

He said the debts had arisen from cases decided against the country and they were in various currencies of other lands, declaring that the House wanted details of the said debts.

He said that already, a propertybelonging to the Nigerian Army worth N2 million had been so attached following the development which he described as worrisome.

“This situation to us in the committee is worrisome. We cannot condone the embarrassment that would follow the refusal of Nigerian government not to pay fines imposed by courts.

“This is why we are inviting the Accountant General of the Federation, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Finance to come and brief us on the omission,” he said.

According to him, the image of the country would be dented more when properties belonging to the Federal Government were confiscated in foreign lands because of the failure to obey court judgments.