N100bn Dissapeared In A Year’- Reps. Probes NEDC

An investigation into allegations of a missing N100 billion under the management of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) established in 2017 to reconstruct states affected by insurgency in the north-east, has been ordered by the House of Representatives

Minority leader, Ndudi Elumelu noted that the N100 billion given to the commission by the federal government has dissapeared.

While moving the motion, Elumelu 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.

He listed the corrupt practices to 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.

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.

He noted that such acts completely disregard the procurement laws of the country and must be really frowned at.

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