Presidency debunks lawmaker’s claim on misappropriation of N89.09tn Stamp Duty fund

The Presidency on Saturday dismissed allegations of misappropriation of Stamp Duty funds levelled against some government agencies on Friday by a member of the House of Representatives, Gudaji Kazaure.

A statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, described the claim as a figment of the imagination of Mr Kazaure.

Mr Shehu added that it was unconstitutional for a member of the parliament to be secretary of an executive committee.

In an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday, the lawmaker claimed to be Secretary of the Presidential Committee on the Reconciliation and Recovery of All Stamp Duties. He also alleged that critical institutions such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), and the Protocol Department of the State House prevented him from briefing President Muhammadu Buhari on findings made by his committee.

Mr Kazaure, who represents the Kazaure, Roni, Gwiwa, Yankwashi Constituency of Jigawa State, alleged that the committee accused the government agencies of sabotaging the committee’s efforts. He also claimed that the committee discovered that the sum of N89.09 trillion purportedly realised from deductions by banks had been misappropriated.

But Mr Shehu in his response Saturday night argued that the presidential committee the lawmaker purportedly serves as its secretary had since been dissolved. He added, however, that there is another committee chaired by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, which was set up in June 2020 by the president and still reconciles Stamp Duties accounts.

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“Anyone familiar with our constitution will find it curious that a member of the Parliament is the secretary of an Executive Committee. It suffices to say that the entire net worth of the nation’s financial sector, the assets of the banking sector put together, is not worth N50 trillion, not to talk of the kind of money he is talking about,” the statement said.

“The Central Bank assures that there is absolutely no problem, whatsoever, with money from Stamp Duties. There is a committee duly set up by the President in June 2020, chaired by the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and the Secretary is the Chairman of the Federal Internal Revenue Service that is currently reconciling the stamp duty accounts. The job is not finished. As it is, there is nothing to give credence to wild accusations made against the administration.”

Reacting to Mr Kazaure’s allegations of being stopped from seeing the president, the statement said the claim is unfounded as the lawmaker is a known “friend” of Mr Buhari.

Mr Shehu said: “As for Hon. Gudaji seeing the President, I’ll like to assure you that there is nobody that can stop him from seeing the number one citizen. Gudaji is a friend of the President.”