1.4K
The House of Representatives has threatened to issue a warrant of arrest
against the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency,
NEMA,Eng. Mustafa Maihaja, over a controversial N5.6billion contract
fraud.
The House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness also directed
the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the office of the Accountant General of
the Federation, the ministry of Finance and other relevant parties to
furnish the committee with all transaction details of N5.6 billion funds
released to four companies in relation to the Emergency Food Programme in
the North East.
Maihaja was allegedly found to have expended over N5bn on companies that
have no legal qualifications to get contract awards from the federal
government.
The committee made this demand after another investigative session on the
alleged breach of trust by National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) at
the National Assembly.
According to the committee, the documents are to guide the panel to
uncover the mystery surrounding the release of funds and to establish
whether it was given to the companies as a loan or under whatever
condition.
The decision to ask for the documents arose when beneficiaries of the
contract to mop up grains, which were said to have been distributed in the
North East, and the accountant general of the federation said they were
selected for the job without asking for a loan to finance it from the CBN,
while the Central Bank, on the other hand, insisted that the N5.6 billion
was a loan.
Chairman of the committee, Hon Ali Isa J.C, also summoned the director
general of NEMA to appear in its next sitting or face a warrant of arrest
issued on him to compel him to appear.
This is the third consecutive time the DG is failing to attend the hearing
despite repeated invitations from the committee.
Hon Ali said the agency has a penchant for sending notice of its DG’s
absence from the meeting either 30 minutes before the hearing commences or
when the hearing has already commenced.
He added that the panel will give him one more chance to appear on the
31st of May, 2018, or face sanctions.