Reps to investigate NIMASA over ‘phoney contracts, lopsided appointments’

The house of representatives has resolved to set up an ad hoc committee to investigate alleged corruption allegations against the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA).

The resolution followed the adoption of a motion moved by Kingsley Chinda from Rivers and four other lawmakers during the plenary session on Wednesday.

In the motion, the lawmakers accused Bashir Jamoh, director-general of NIMASA, of gross mismanagement of funds and awarding “fictitious contracts”.

The legislators claimed there are “unwholesome and corrupt practices” in the agency such as the award of “questionable and phoney contracts, fraudulent forex transactions and lopsided placement of directors”.

“Allegations such as abuse of office and lopsided appointment and placement of directors of the agency in favour of some interests to the detriment of others is in breach of section 14 (3) of the constitution of the federal republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), as well as other unwholesome practices within the agency,” the motion reads.

“There are alleged cases of round-tripping and under declaration of foreign exchange earnings from the agency’s foreign accounts.

“These allegations are of grave nature to be swept under the carpet or dismissed with a wave of the hand, particularly as it relates to economic losses on the part of the government.

“There is a need to urgently investigate the allegations and unless and until this is done, the federal government would continue to lose huge sums of money to an unconscionable and fraudulent cabal who are hell-bent on sucking the country dry.”

The lawmakers also called for an investigation of “several allegations of questionable, inflated and fictitious contract awards, particularly for non-operational speed boats, security surveillance contracts and deep blue water contract, revenue leakages and the award of contracts to cronies of the director-general and other top management staff of the agency.

“There under-remittance of debts owed the country by shipping firms, with the consent and connivance of the agency,” the lawmakers said.

“The security surveillance contract called Deep Blue Water contract is suspected to be a conduit by the management of the agency to pilfer funds.“

The deep blue water contract project has been the subject of several investigations by different committees of the previous assemblies.

The $195 million contract was sealed in 2017 by the ministry of transportation with HLS International Limited, a foreign private company, for the supply of certain security and surveillance equipment and systems, and also for establishing the integrated national coastal surveillance and waterways protection solutions with command and control of infrastructure in the country’s territorial waters.

In March 2022, several government agencies, including the Navy and Air Force distanced themselves from the contract, at a committee hearing organised by the house of representatives. 

The motion was adopted when it was put to a voice vote by Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house.

The ad hoc committee, which is to be set up, will have four weeks to investigate the matter and report back to the house for further legislative action.