The Presidency, on Saturday, debunked claims by a House of Representatives Member, Mohammed Kazaure, that over N80 trillion of Stamp Duties funds by banks were siphoned.
In an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday, the lawmaker representing the Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, Yankwashi Constituency of Jigawa State alleged that the Presidential Committee on the Reconciliation and Recovery of All Stamp Duties has accused some government agencies of sabotaging the committee’s efforts.
According to Kazaure, who said he serves as the committee’s secretary, it discovered that N89.09tn has so far been realised from deductions by banks but has been siphoned.
He alleged connivance by some critical operatives of the regime, including the Central Bank of Nigeria, the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Protocol Department of the State House, to prevent him from briefing the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) on the findings.
But reacting to the allegations, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, late Saturday night said it was unconstitutional for a member of the Parliament to be Secretary of an Executive Committee.
Shehu argued that the Presidential Committee in question had since been dissolved but noted that there is another Committee Chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami set up in June 2020 by the President, which is still reconciling Stamp Duties accounts.
He said “In the first instance, the committee on the alleged loss of stamp duty funds he is talking about is an illegal committee, it was dissolved on the directive of the President.
