The House of Representatives has accused commercial banks of illegally deducting unexplained charges from the accounts of civil servants, public servants, and other customers without proper remittance.
The allegation was made by Rep. Kelechi Nwogu, Chairman of the House Ad-hoc Committee investigating tax deductions from civil and public servants’ salaries and bank charges on customer accounts, during the opening of the panel’s investigation in Abuja on Tuesday.
Nwogu stated that the committee’s mandate is to ensure that all deductions or charges made by banks are lawful, correctly calculated, and properly utilized.
“Commercial banks are perpetrating illegality by deducting inexplicable charges from civil servants, public servants, and other customers’ bank accounts without remittances,” he said, adding that the panel will leave no stone unturned in uncovering why these deductions are being made.
The committee has extended invitations to the Ministry of Finance and plans to work closely with the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, the EFCC, and commercial banks operating in Nigeria to ensure accountability and protect customers from unlawful charges.
