Senate uncovers how NSPMC paid N14bn salary increase without approval

By Adekunle Adesuji, Abuja 

The Senate on Monday uncovered how the Board of Directors of Nigerian Security Printing and Minting Company (NSPMC) Plc paid N14 billion salary increase to all its staff members without the approval of the National Salaries Wages, Incomes and Wages Commission (NSIWC).

Chairman, Senate Public Accounts Committee, Senator Ahmed Wadada made the discovery at a session at the upper chamber in Abuja where the management of NSPMC appeared before the committee with respect to the 2019 report of Auditor General of the Federation.

The report of the auditor general had revealed that between 2016 and 2019, the NSPMC Board of Directors approved N14bn for salaries and allowances without approval of the salaries and wages regulatory body.

Under Article 3, the NSIWC Act, 1990 stipulated that the commission shall advise the Federal Government on national incomes policy; recommend the proportions of income growth which should be utilised for general wage increase and inform the Federal Government of current and incipient trends in wages and propose guidelines within which increase in wages should be confined, among others

In his written submission, however, the Managing Director of NSPMC, Alhaji Ahmed Halilu claimed that the company did not need any approval from the salaries and wages regulatory body because it was registered under the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA).

But the managing director later admitted before the Senate Committee on Public Accounts that it was wrong not to seek approval from the NSIWC before implementing the new salaries and allowances increase for the company.

Halilu further said: “It has come to our notice that we must obtain approval before salaries increase. It is salaries paid over the period of three years. On this ground, it was not misappropriated considering the volume of works done by thousands of staff over this period.”

In their responses, nearly all members of the committee were displeased with the illegal payment, pointing out that the public funds were spent without due process.

Specifically, the Deputy Whip of the Senate, Senator Nwebonyi Onyeka explained that the government money was spent without due process, adding that the misappropriated fund should be refunded.