The Senate has frowned at the failure by the Federal Government to remit 1% from Federation Account into the account of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) in line with the extant laws.
The stance of the lawmakers was sequel to the submission by the Executive Vice-Chairman of the agency, Professor Mohammed Sani Haruna.
Speaking while addressing the joint committee of the Senate on Finance and National Planning in the ongoing public hearing on a revenue projection of Federal Government agencies and Government-Owned Enterprises, Professor Haruna told the Committee led by Senator Solomon Adeola that his agency had never received 1% remittance from the Federation Account as provided for by the 2004 National Assembly Acts.
Checks revealed that the Act establishing the agency stipulates that NASENI shall draw from the Federation Account, 1% revenue accruing to the Federal Treasury effective from the year 2000 but it has since been observed in the breach.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Adeola mandated the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, to commence the disbursement of 1% allocation from the federation account into the coffers of NASENI, effective from next month.
“The Act setting up NASENI was the Act of the National Assembly and the Accountant General of the Federation could not be allowed to flout the law.
“Therefore, since the AGF is here, please ensure that the Executive starts implementation of the law from September this year because NASENI has potentials to develop and industrialise the Nigerian economy through the core mandates given to it by the extant laws,” he said.