The Speaker Adamawa State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Aminu Iya Abbas, has observed with dismay the failure of the state Fiscal Responsibility Commission (FRC) to capture the debt profile of the state in its annual report of activities and audited accounts for 2018.
Rt. Hon. Iya Abbas, who made the observation while receiving an annual report of activities and audited accounts from the Secretary of the commission in his office Yesterday, said he does not see the reason why the commission could not capture the debt profile of the state in its report.
The Speaker said he expected the Commission to furnish them with the details of debt profile incurred by the state just as it has given them that of revenues year in year out so as to enable them make comparison, but it failed to do so.
He said he is making the observation because there was disagreement during the transition most especially when the Transition Committee constituted by Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, reported that the debt profile of the state stood at #115billion, but the outgoing government said it was far less than what was reported.
The Presiding Officer told the Commission that if the figure of debt profile is coming from them as independent agency, no side of the government will dispute the figure, and it will make the work easier for the house and the state in general.
On the issue of Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), the Speaker explained that the agency captured the IGR of the state year in year out and that it might say it is increasing, but as far as he is concerned, it is increasing but not at the expected pace.
He hammered that the IGR is not increasing the way they want as a state, adding that the Commission only advocated for it enhancement in its report but could not suggest ways to follow towards achieving it.
The Speaker further told them that the Commission supposed to have fashioned out modalities on how to plug up leakages in order to boost IGR so as to enable the legislature advise the executive arm on it.
Likewise, on the issue of Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPS), the Speaker asserted that it is a must if the state actually wants to do away with ghosts workers,so that people will not continue to collect salary that is not their own, pointing out that what they have in the state today be it data capturing and e-payment is nothing serious.
He said that there are still rooms where people can manipulate their salaries as it has been happening at the state House of Assembly; hence, their resolved to constitute committee to look into the issue.
He contended that people need to do away with politics as it will affect the viability of the state, saying if not, the state will reach a stage where it cannot be able to pay salaries.
Rt. Hon. Aminu Iya Abbas, further observed that the state borrows money to work for people and not to pay salaries, warning that no state will survive borrowing money in order to pay salaries.
Earlier, speaking while presenting the report, the Secretary of the Commission lamented the inadequate funding for the Commission to carry out its statutory functions, reluctance of some MDAs to respond to enquiries on data and information required to assist in compilation of their report.
He lamented lack of implementation centralized Treasury Single Account(TSA) in the state to curb leakages in revenue collections and remittance, as well as low IGR and over dependence on federal allocation.
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