‘N100bn vanished in one year’ — reps probe north-east development commission

The house of representatives says it will probe the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) over the alleged mismanagement of N100 billion.

The resolution of the house was sequel to a motion sponsored by Ndudi Elumelu, minority leader of the house, on Thursday.

The commission was established in 2017 to reconstruct states affected by insurgency in the north-east.

While moving his motion, Elumelu said the N100 billion given to the commission by the federal government has “vanished” with nothing to show for it

The Delta lawmaker accused Mohammed Goni Alkali, commission’s managing director, of awarding non-existent contracts.

“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 north-east,” Elumelu said.

“The corrupt practices include high handedness by the managing director, Mohammed Goni Alkali, over inflation of contracts, awards of non existent contracts, massive contract splitting and flagrant disregard for the procurement laws in the award of contracts.

“There are allegations of how the minister of humanitarian affairs and disaster management, Sadiya Farouk, was said to have entered into an unholy deal with the managing director of the commission to illegally withdraw money for the purchase military vehicles without any recourse to the board.

“The act, which completely disregards the country’s procurement laws, must be seriously frowned at.”

The house adopted the motion after it was put to a voice vote by Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house.

The motion was referred to the house committees on finance, procurement and NEDC. The report on the probe is expected to be turned in after eight weeks.

The development is coming days after the house concluded its investigation on the alleged mismanagement of N81.5 billion by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The report on the NDDC probe is yet to be laid at the plenary of the lower legislative chamber.