BY AMOS DUNIA, ABUJA – The House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness has summoned the Director General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to appear before it in person at its next sitting or face a warrant of arrest to compel him to appear.
Chairman of the committee, Hon Ali Isa J.C, who gave the warning on Thursday, noted that it was the third consecutive time the NEMA DG failed to attend the hearing in spite of 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 Committee’s hearing commences or when it has already commenced.
He added that the panel will give the DG one more chance to appear on May 31, 2018, or face sanctions.
The Reps Committee equally directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, 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.
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 Central Bank which on the other hand insisted that the N5.6 billion was a loan.
