The Centre for Anti-Corruption and Open Leadership (CACOL) has cautioned Zilcon Higgs International Limited, a consulting firm, against making defamatory statements about the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). The warning follows the firm’s claim that RMAFC failed to authorize payment for a job it allegedly completed on behalf of the nine oil-producing states.
In a press release, CACOL’s Chairman, Mr. Debo Adeniran, addressed the allegations made by Zilcon Higgs in a Daily Sun publication dated September 13, 2024. The firm’s CEO, Hon. Sampson Orji, had claimed that his company was contracted by the nine oil-producing states to recover $2.47 billion in omitted revenue, but RMAFC refused to authorize payment for the consultancy.
CACOL, in its statement, expressed concerns over the defamatory nature of these accusations, emphasizing that the firm’s claims had no basis. According to Adeniran, RMAFC Chairman Mohammed Bello Shehu clarified that Tiaras White Consult Ltd., not Zilcon Higgs, was the official consultant appointed by the states to recover the funds in question. Furthermore, a letter from the chairman of the nine oil-producing states confirmed that Zilcon Higgs was not engaged for the project.
Adeniran pointed out that Zilcon Higgs had also petitioned President Bola Tinubu and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) regarding the matter. The firm accused RMAFC of denying payment for consultancy fees, even though no funds had been released to the oil-producing states pending approval from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF) and the Ministry of Finance.
CACOL advised Zilcon Higgs to exercise patience and allow the courts and investigative bodies, such as the EFCC, to conclude their findings before making further public statements. “It is subjudice for parties to a dispute to continue making public statements on an issue pending court determination,” Adeniran said.
The commission’s chairman, Shehu, further clarified that under the 1999 Constitution, only the federal, state, and local governments have the authority to receive funds from the Federation Account. He stressed that deductions from statutory allocations could not be made without proper authorization from the state governments and their legislatures.
The CACOL chairman urged Zilcon Higgs to refrain from making “wild allegations” and engaging in a “campaign of calumny” against RMAFC, especially since the case is still pending before the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal in Abuja.
In light of the controversy, CACOL reiterated the importance of allowing legal processes to take their course and warned against any further defamatory remarks until the courts deliver their final judgments on the matter.