The office of the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) has denied the allegation by Nigerian Union of Journalists that it was owing the union over N120 million in non-remitted union dues.
The Director, Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), Alhaji Ibrahim Yusuf , on Thursday in Abuja, addressed a news conference on the true status of NUJ dues.
Yusuf said that the OAGF had not diverted or tampered with money it had deducted from NAN, FRCN and VON over the past two years as union dues.
“The deductions made from salaries of members could not be paid in 2014 because the NUJ did not provide account details which made the money to lapse.
“It should also be noted that all government unspent or un-utilised balances at the end of each year are considered as having lapsed.
“They then become liabilities which will have to be re-presented to the Budget Office for approval before further processing and payment to the affected third parties.
Consequently, Yusuf said the allegation of diversion of funds in the NUJ submission to the OAGF was unjustified.
He said that the January and February check off dues of the union had already been paid to NUJ.
He said the union was paid N615,849 for January and N620,480 for February.
Yusuf said that the issue had affected not only the NUJ but other unions as well.
He said a case had already been made to the budget office for the provision of funds, to effect the payment of all outstanding deductions to affected beneficiaries.
The director added that even the NUJ 2014 union dues which deductions were made but could not be transferred to NUJ for lack of account number would be returned before the end of the year.
NUJ members had earlier staged a protest over the alleged non-remittance of dues of the Federal Government-owned media organisations. (NAN)
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