Immigration pays millions of Naira to insurance broker for grounded aircrafts — Senate

Members of the Senate Public Accounts Committee have flayed the Nigerian Immigration Service over the payment of premium to an insurance broker for grounded aircrafts.

The Committee hinged the investigation of the NIS on the 2016, 2017 and 2018 reports of the Auditor General of the Federation.

But the Deputy Controller in Charge of Directorate Account, Wuraola Adepoju, said when the premium was paid to the insurance broker, the aircrafts were available.

This was before the Presidential Order that the aircrafts should be ceded to the Nigerian Air Force.

Adepoju added that the NIS had the aircrafts but it was unfortunate that she could not present their pictures to the Committee chaired by Senator Matthew Urhoghide.

She therefore asked the Panel to give her a one-week grace to show the aircrafts to the panel.

In one premium paid by Immigration, it showed N13.4 million in 2016, while that of renewal endorsement for year 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 were not shown to the panel to know the total amount paid for unserviceable aircrafts.

Expressing dissatisfaction with the payment of millions of Naira as premium for grounded Aircrafts, Senator Urhoghide wondered how the NIS will be paying millions of naira premium for unserviceable aircrafts.

The Chairman said: “The two aircrafts ought not to have been insured because they are grounded.

“You are insuring a property that is not serviceable and and you have spent so much money on it.”

The query reads: “At  the  Nigeria  Immigration  Service,  Headquarters,  Abuja,  the  following observations  were made:- Amounts  totalling  N13,419,800.00  (Thirteen  million,  four  hundred  and  nineteen thousand,  eight  hundred  naira)  were  paid  through  2  (two)  payment  vouchers  dated February  and  March, 2016  to  an  Insurance  Broker  for  the  renewal  of  premium  of  Nigeria Immigration  Service  Aviation  Fleet  Policy.

“The  following  information  were  not  made available: (i) (ii) Original copy of  Insurance  Policy  on aviation  fleet. Evidence of  renewal of the aviation  fleet  policy in year  2014/2015. (iii)  Evidence  of  the  acknowledgement  of  the  receipt  of  payment  by  the  Insurance Broker. (iv)  Evidence  that  the  Brokers  remitted  the  sum  of  N13,419,800.00  to  the  Insurance Company. (v)  Renewal endorsement  for year 2014/2015 and 2015/2016. (vi)  Appropriation to pay for the renewal of the policy. (vii)  Computation analysis  on the premium renewal. (viii)  Location of  the aircrafts. (ix)  Evidence that the aircrafts were airworthy.

“The Comptroller-General  should  produce  the  mentioned  documents,  otherwise recover  the  sum  of  N13,419,800  from  the  Insurance  Brokers  and  furnish  evidence  of recovery  for  verification.”