Zamfara tops debtors’ list as Reps query NECO over N636. 778m unremitted revenue

The government of Zamfara state is said to top the list of states owing examination fees belonging to the National Examination Council (NECO).

This was as the House of Representatives Committee on Finance on Wednesday queried the Council over the sum N636, 778, 000 which it failed to remit in 2019.

To this end, the Committee grilled the Acting Registrar, Ebikibina Ogborodi, and other top management staff of the examination body over the discovery.

Ogborodi in his defense to the query said they had an operating surplus of N1, 278, 462, 493 of which they were to remit 80 percent (N1, 022, 769, 994) to the government.

He however said that only the sum of N385, 991, 627 was remitted.

The Acting Registrar said this was because the examination body was being owed by some states governments with the organization having difficulties recovering the debts.

“The balance is because some state governments who did the examinations are yet to pay,” he said.

He said Zamfara was the highest debtor with N1, 220, 234, 000.

Others are Adamawa (N281, 455, 500), Kano (N240, 043, 000), Gombe (N7, 214, 150), Bornu (N40, 027, 675) and Niger (N234, 453, 157).

He said they had written to relevant authorities to help with the recovery of the money.

(Daily Independent)