Members of the Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance, and Other Financial Institutions voiced strong concerns and called for the dissolution of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON).
The demand was made during a budget defense session attended by the Managing Director of AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, who appeared before the committee to justify the agency's budgetary allocation for the upcoming fiscal year.
Mr. Kuru provided insights into AMCON's performance, revealing that the agency had successfully recovered about N648 billion out of a total liability amounting to N5 trillion as of September 20. However, this disclosure did not appease the committee members, who expressed dissatisfaction with AMCON's financial statements throughout the year.
Several committee members, including Sani Musa, Jimoh Ibrahim, Adamu Aliero, and Ifeanyi Ubah, called for the dissolution of AMCON, citing concerns over the agency's perceived lack of proactivity in recovering liabilities. Sani Musa, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, expressed frustration with AMCON's performance, particularly highlighting instances where individual companies owed substantial amounts, only to repurchase their assets after AMCON had taken them over.
"It is not only about defending the budget; it is about seeing the effect of the appropriation. We need to know whether it is working. Or are we just creating a job for those we can’t protect? Will it not be better to scrap AMCON since it seems to have lost its statutory mandate?" questioned Senator Musa.
Jimoh Ibrahim echoed these sentiments, pointing out the significant financial losses incurred by AMCON. He raised concerns about the agency's balance sheet, emphasizing that despite its role in collecting bank loans, it was experiencing substantial losses, prompting questions about the acquisition of cash-collateralized loans.
"Your total comprehensive profit and loss, and it came into a loss of N145 billion. This calls for concern. Your net operating profit and loss is N126 billion. What is responsible for all these big losses? You are created to collect bank loans from them," said Senator Ibrahim.
The session revealed growing dissatisfaction among committee members regarding AMCON's effectiveness, leading to serious discussions about the potential dissolution of the agency. The concerns raised by these lawmakers underscore the need for a thorough examination of AMCON's operations and the implications of its continued existence.
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