The House of Representatives on Wednesday summoned the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi to explain the ministry’s role in the authorization and spending of N25. 25 million as donation without appropriation in 2008.
Amaechi is expected to appear before the House Committee on Public Accounts.
Deputy Chairman of the Committee, Ibrahim Baba, explained that Amaechi is expected to appear before the committee with records of the ministry’s budgetary appropriations for 2008, so as to determine whether or not there were provisions for the said donation.
The authorization was allegedly made in 2008 during the tenure of Mrs. Diezani Allison Madueke as Minister of Transportation.
The summon is sequel to inability of Director General of Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Dakuku Peterside to produce required documents and explain to the committee why the spending was made in 2005 when funding for it was contained in the 2008 budget. The said donation was made to Nigerian Chamber of Shipping (NCS) to support its activities.
Auditor General of the Federation (AGF), Ahmed Idris, who accused NIMASA of the illicit spending in its 2010 report requested that the fund should be refunded to the consolidated revenue account.
In the said report, the AGF accused the agency of raising 14 separate payment vouchers amounting to N41.261million prior to 2010.
According to the report, various companies and individuals were paid without adhering to due process.
The lawmakers during an interactive session with the management team of FERMA expressed concerns over the dilapidated federal roads across the country including Akure-Akungba, Enugu-Onitsha, Lagos-Sango Otta, Benin-Agbor, Abuja-Kaduna-Kano expressway which they described as death traps.
Chairman, House Committee on FERMA, Jerry Alagbaso who presided over the session, queried the lopsidedness in the list of federal roads to be maintained by the agency, also frowned at the removal of Lagos-Sango Otta road project from the 2016 budget.
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