...As NEPC gets new appearance date
By Lubem Gena, Abuja
The House of Representatives has invited a former Permanent Secretary and Director of Finance in the Ministry of Aviation and Aerospace Development to appear before it on Wednesday, 24th January, 2024.
The order was sequel to a compelling need to get convincing explanations into the utilisation of the sum of five billion Naira (N5,000,000,000.00) disbursed to the Ministry in 20220 to cushion the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic.
This order was handed down at the resumed hearing on Friday, 19 January 2024 was presided over by the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Representative Bamidele Salam who represents Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore and Ejigbo Federal Constituency of Osun state.
Speaking to the documents earlier sent to the committee secretariat, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Emmanuel Meribole explained that the money was used to provide bailout facilities to airlines, support service bodies and other layers of service providers.
The Permanent Secretary stimulated the wrath of the committee when he emphasised that the money disbursed to the airline operators and aviation fuel marketers was a grant and no expectation was in view as to its recovery even as the originating memo to that effect was shows that it was a loan facility.
Other areas that were questioned included paying money into individual accounts on behalf of associations; award of contracts without compliance with guidelines laid down by extant laws and regulations; award of contracts to companies without capacity; and payment of N153million to a member of the COVID-19 monitoring team of the ministry, amongst others.
Meanwhile, the Auditor-General of the Federation report also queried some transactions by the ministry under the same subject matter in the sum of N100million and another N196million which were spent in circumstances that were not transparent.
“…We can’t be running a country as if we are running a social club of one area. So, they have an association that is not registered? That doesn’t have a bank account? To even bring it down to that level to write and say pay to so and so, and you go ahead and authorise that payment?
“I doubt if this can be supported under any condition. An association registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) supposedly does not even have a corporate account which you can pay to. And they will write a letter on one piece of paper and tell you, (a government ministry), to pay into and you will pay. Not one naira, one hundred and ninety-six million naira and so on and so forth”, Rep. Salam wondered.
Failure to provide convincing responses on all the infractions notices in the presentation before the committee, Hon. Dauda Nyampa stated that most of the issues will not be resolved until the mentioned stakeholders are invited to state their own side of the story.
“We are more concerned about the money issued to those people that we have seen in their letters that are said to be loans. We are also worried at the economy of this country and how to generate revenue.
“I want to suggest that all these people that took this money as loans should be invited to tell us if they received the money or their names were just used to collect the money and it is somehow unaccountable. I move that we invite them. That is my position Mr. Chairman.
“…Having read the submission by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry that N4billion was issued to different stakeholders in the aviation industry and we want to actually investigate what is the level of utilisation of the money, I want to move a motion to invite the beneficiaries to see compliance and transparency on the N4billion. I so move Mr. Chairman”, Hon. Nyampa emphasised.
Ruling on the motion which was seconded by Hon. Sani Lau, Rep. Salam ruled that Dr. Meribole should liaise with the former Permanent Secretary and Director of Finance who were office holders when the transactions took place and ensure the provision of the full details of the beneficiaries, the detail expenditure framework.
He is to also ensure their appearance before the committee unfailingly on Wednesday, 24th January, 2024.
Also, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) which appeared before the committee was given another date to appear to be grilled over the utilisation of N44billion allocated to it.
The Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer, Mrs. Nonye Ayeni had earlier requested for an extension which was granted by the committee in view of the fact that she is new in that capacity.
