Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Minority Leader, House of Representatives. |
The House of
Representatives has resolved to probe alleged misappropriation of funds running
into billions of naira by the Management of the North East Development
Commission, NEDC, meant for the development of the North East Region of
Nigeria.
The resolution
was based on the adoption of a motion of urgent national importance moved by
the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu at the
resumed sitting of the House on Thursday July 23rd, 2020.
Moving the
motion which was seconded by Hon James Faleke representing Ikeja Federal
Constituency, Hon. Elumelu said that the NEDC was signed into law to basically
alleviate the suffering of Nigerians living in the North Eastern region of the
country, who have long been victims of insurgency and to rebuild the
socio-economic livelihood of the people in the region.
Elumelu
however, regretted that the commission is being used as a personal tool by the top
management, even as he expressed great worry at the allegation of collaboration
of the leadership of the commission with the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs,
to divert huge funds running into billions of naira, for private causes.
“The NEDC
which was set up to ameliorate the sufferings of the people is alleged to be
enmeshed in serious corrupt practices by the management.
“The corrupt
practices include alleged high handedness by the Managing Director Mohammed
Goni Alkali, over-inflation of contracts, awards of nonexistent contracts,
massive contract splitting and flagrant disregard for the procurement laws in
the award of contracts,” Hon. Elumelu stated, and expressed concern that the
N100 billion so far disbursed to the commission by the Federal Government, is
said to have vanished under a year without any visible impact on the refugees
nor any infrastructural development credited to the name of the commission in
the whole of the Northeast.
“There are
allegations of how the managing director and his close associates diverted
funds meant for the commission, for the purchasing of choice properties in
highbrow neighborhoods of Abuja, Kaduna and Maiduguri, to the detriment of the
suffering refugees and infrastructural development.
“There are
allegations of how the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management,
Sadiya Umar Farouk was said to have entered into an unholy deal with the
managing director of the commission to illegally withdraw the sum of N5billion
from the account of the commission to purchase military vehicles without any
recourse to the board, an act which completely disregards the country's
procurement laws and must be seriously frowned at.
“Though the
managing director single handedly procured all Coronavirus materials and
supplies to the tune of N5 billion without an approval from the board, there is
said to be another massive corruption scheme on the verge of being implemented
in the name of housing scheme in Maiduguri without the board's knowledge,” the
Minority Leader stated, pointing out that these consistent abuse of procurement
laws, if not put to check, may defeat the purpose for the establishment of the
commission.
He therefore
submitted that the House of Representatives, through the House Committee on
NEDC and the Committee on Finance and Appropriations should immediately commence
investigation of the alleged corruption in the commission, with a view to
coming up with the true position in the commission to the interest of Nigerian.
The motion
was unanimously voted and adopted by the House.
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