Business and Economy
WEMA Bank Swims in IGR Controversy as Forensic Auditor Petitions EFCC
By NGIJ team of Oluwasegun Abifarin and Olawale Abideen
Widely reputed as the longest surviving and most resilient indigenous bank in Nigeria, Wema Bank Plc, according to its corporate philosophy, “has over the years, diligently offered a fully-fledged range of value-adding banking and financial advisory services to the Nigerian public.”
But recent development is threatening the bank’s ambition and reputation “to give every customer a delightful and memorable service experience.”
According to the document received by the Nigerian Guild of Investigative Journalists, NGIJ, Niger State governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani-Bello in a letter dated 23/07/2015 from the office of the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Malam Zakari Abubakar appointed Ori Adeyemo, a Lagos based forensic expert as consultants to investigate deductions of unremitted 10% Withholding Tax on Credit Interest by some banks operating in the state. adsbygoogle || []).push({});
However, an instruction was passed by the then Finance Ministry Permanent Secretary to its supervised Niger State Board of Internal Revenue of Adeyemo’s full appointments to cover all the banks in Niger State.
At the end of the forensic investigation, the total refundable by the Wema Bank stood at N192, 963 million out of the N4.6 billion due to the state by 12 banks and one Micro Finance institution.
In his petition to the EFCC, obtained by the NIGJ team. Adeyemo alleged he was reliably informed that the Board had given clean bill of health and letters of non-indebtedness to the said compromised concerned banks.
He added that by a letter dated 29/01/2019, Wema Bank Plc. also sent in a reply to the Board’s earlier N192, 963,839.30 Best-of-Judgement (BOJ) demand letter as initiated by us.
The consultant also alleged that the Board “went ahead to try and sell-out this assessment to persons unknown so far who relied on our reports in lowering the assessment to sum for reasons unknown after unbridled reports mutilation and suspected behind-the-scene negotiations all in a bid to deprive the Niger State Government of its hard-earned Internally Generated Revenue (IGR).”
He added that the “total commissions and/or dues fraudulently lost thereto and/or withheld by the Niger State Board of Internal Revenue is N910,422,825.32, which “we hereby request that the EFCC use its wide-ranging investigative powers to help recover for us.”
The petitioner also included a compact disk (CD) detailing all completed jobs in intellectual properties as so far executed by the consultant for the Niger State Government enabling it to demand for an additional but unpaid N732,143,601.52 commission sum.
“Consequently, in the light of the mutual agreement that have with the Niger State Government, we are entitled to 15% of the established N1,131,931,579.67 liability assessment per completed assignments for N178,279,223.80 sum, which we hereby demand that EFCC should assist us to collect from the Niger State Board of Internal Revenue and its collaborators”, Adeyemo said.
Meanwhile, Wema Bank’s Corporate Communication Manager, Mrs. Funmi Falola, debunked the allegations, saying that from their investigation, there is no such liability on the neck of the bank anywhere.
Author Profile
- Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media and ICT Consultant, Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.
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Business and Economy
FAAC Shares N680.783 Billion May 2022 Revenue To FG, States And LGCs
The Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) has shared a total sum of N680.783 Billion May 2022 Federation Account Revenue to the Federal Government, States and Local Government Councils.
This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) for June 2022, held in Abuja.
The N680.783 billion total distributable revenue comprised distributable statutory revenue of N385.004 billion, distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue of N198.512 billion and Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) revenue of N97.267 billion.
In May 2022, the total deductions for cost of collection was N36. 996 billion and total deductions for transfers and refunds was N186.672 billion.
The balance in the Excess Crude Account (ECA) was $35.377 million.
The communiqué confirmed that from the total distributable revenue of N680.783 billion; the Federal Government received N229.563 billion, the State Governments received N241.824 billion and the Local Government Councils received N175.942 billion. The sum of N33.454 billion was shared to the relevant States as 13% derivation revenue.
A gross statutory revenue of N589.952 billion was received for the month of May 2022. This was lower than the N635.037 billion received in the previous month by N45.085 billion.
From the N385.004 billion distributable statutory revenue, the Federal Government received N185.197 billion, the State Governments received N93.934 billion and the Local Government Councils received N72.419 billion. The sum of N33.454 billion was shared to the relevant States as 13% derivation revenue.
In the month of May 2022, the gross revenue available from the Value Added Tax (VAT) was N213.179 billion. This was higher than the N178.825 billion available in the month of April 2022 by N34.354 billion.
From the N198.512 billion distributable Value Added Tax (VAT) revenue, the Federal Government received N29.777 billion, the State Governments received N99.256 billion and the Local Government Councils received N69.479 billion.
The Federal Government received N14.590 billion; the State Governments received N48.634 billion and the Local Government Councils received N34.043 billion from the N97.267 billion Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL).
According to the Communiqué, in the month of May 2022, Companies Income Tax (CIT) and Value Added Tax (VAT) recorded considerable increases, Import Duty increased marginally while Petroleum Profit Tax (PPT) and Excise Duties decreased marginally. Oil and Gas Royalties decreased significantly.
Author Profile
- Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media and ICT Consultant, Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.
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Business and Economy
Non-interest TAJBank Reports 433% PBT in 2021 Financial Year
…as balance sheet grows to N110bn
The second non-interest Bank, TAJBank Limited, has recorded more milestones in its second year of operations with its profit before tax (PBT) surging to N1.6 billion in FY2021, representing 433% improvement over the preceding year’s profit.
This is even as the multiple award-winning lenders, which recently received the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) certification in recognition of its globally recognized information security standards in all areas of its operations, also recorded 117% growth in gross revenue from N3.3 billion in FY2020 to N7.2 billion in FY2021.
In the period under review, the bank recorded positive indicators which showed the remarkable growth that the nascent bank continues to achieve. push({}); The bank’s financial results showed a rise in its balance sheet figure from N50 billion in FY2020 to N110 billion in the FY2021 recording a 122% growth.
The bank also achieved a leap in shareholders’ funds during the year which also marked some great improvements in the Bank’s financial results coming from the previous year.
The non-interest bank’s audited financial statements also reflected outstanding positive indices which demonstrated its management’s professionalism in handling investors’ funds despite serious economic headwinds.
TAJBank’s drive for deposit base growth showed in the financial results as customer deposits also remarkably grew in the year under review, increasing by 99% over the previous year’s value and representing the highest in the industry.
Also, the bank also rapidly expanded its branch network by 22 new branches and business offices within the period under review.
Speaking on the financial results, the Managing Director/CEO, Mr. Hamid Joda, noted that “since commencing operations two years ago, TAJBank has continued to record giant strides in the financial services industry.
“It is on record that we achieved break-even in our 8th month of business, recorded profit in our first year of operations while also wiping-off preoperational expenses in the first year of operation. Generally, the bank has continued to record excellent financial performance within the short period of its existence”, he added.
The Executive Director, Mr. Sherif Idi, while reacting to the results said: “TAJBank has a healthy appetite for growth and for excellence and these results are a testament to what we portray and what we are about.”
He also stressed that the bank “is not looking at slowing down in its sustained commitment to continue to add value to our shareholders, surpassing our customers’ expectations in innovative products and services delivery and in ensuring that we continue to break frontiers in the Nigerian financial system.”
Author Profile
- Prince Abdulrahman Obaje is a Media and ICT Consultant, Journalist, online marketer, social media strategist, Mathematician and Computer Scientist based in Abuja, Nigeria. He is the Founder and the Publisher of The Informavores!. You can reach me on +234 805 939 5252 or send i-witness report directly to me on news@informavores.com.ng.
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Business and Economy
Reps Passes 2022 Budget of N17.1 Trillion
Ogechi Okorie
The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed N17,126,873,917,692 as 2022 budget.
The budget was passed by the Green Chamber following the presentation of report by the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Muktar Betara.
The report was considered at the Committee of Supply presided over by the Speaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and his deputy, Hon. Idris Wase.
According to the Bill passed by the lawmakers authorises the issue from the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Federation the total sum of N17,126,873,917,692 (Seventeen Trillion, One Hundred and Twenty-Six Billion, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Three Million, Nine Hundred and Seventeen Thousand, Six Hundred and Ninety-Two Naira) only.
N869,667,187,542 (Eight Hundred and Sixty-Nine Billion, Six Hundred and Sixty-Seven Million, One Hundred and Eighty-Seven Thousand, Five Hundred and Forty-Two Naira) only is for Statutory Transfers while N3,879,952,981,550 (Three Trillion, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Nine Billion, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Two Million, Nine Hundred and Eighty-One Thousand, Five Hundred and Fifty Naira) only is for Debt Service.
N6,909,849,788,737 (Six Trillion, Nine Hundred and Nine Billion, Eight Hundred and Forty-Nine Million, Seven Hundred and Eighty-Eight Thousand, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Seven Naira) only is for Recurrent (Non-Debt) Expenditure while the sum of N5,467,403,959,863 (Five Trillion, Four Hundred and Sixty-Seven Billion, Four Hundred and Three Million, Nine Hundred and Fifty-Nine Thousand, Eight Hundred and Sixty-Three Naira) only is for contribution to the Development Fund for Capital Expenditure for the year ending on the 31st day of December, 2022.
According to Chairman committee on Appropriation Hon. Muktar Betara, the report was a result of work done on the submission of estimates by the president.
He observed that the 2022 budget would be the last to be fully implemented by the current administration.
According to him, the report took cognizance of the benchmark estimates and the financial/economic realities of current times.
He earlier urged members to support and approve the recommendations in the spirit of the harmonious execution of projects for the good of Nigeria.
The report was considered clause by clause and passed.
The Green Chamber adjourned plenary till Tuesday, January 18th, 2022 following a motion for adjournment moved by the Leader of the House, Hon. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa
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