By Eric Elezuo
The Principal Partner of Falana and Falana Chambers, Mr. Femi Falana, has petitioned the Minister of Finance over what he called Criminal Diversion of Public Funds and Wrongful Enrichment of a Foreign Consultant by the Ministry of the Interior through Extortion of Foreigners Resident in Nigeria…
In a letter addressed to the Minister of Finance, dated January 29, and signed by Mr. Falana, it was noted that the increase of the Combined Expatriate and Resident Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC) from $1, 000 to $2, 000 as well as engagement of a foreigner to collect the fees is unknown to all rules and regulations of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
It also observed that the “most fraudulent aspect of the illegal increase is that out of the huge revenue realised from the payment of the CERPAC fee, only 30 per cent is paid to the Federal Government at the official rate of N306 per Dollar while the foreign consultants are allowed to pocket the remaining 70 per cent.”
Mr Falana also raised the alarm that the 30 per cent is paid into a dedicated account authorised by the Ministry of the Interior as against the proposed Treasury Single Account of the government.
Falana is therefore, asking the Finance Minister to use her good office to stop the illegal increase, direct the naira equivalent be directly paid into the TSA and invite the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to recover the funds “criminally diverted” through the foreign consultants engaged by the Interior Ministry.
He also threatened that failure to do so will attract a court action.
Below is Mr Falana’s letter:
