The House of Representatives Committee on IDPs and
the North-East Initiatives is currently investigating how
the Presidential Initiative on the North-East (PINE) which
is under the supervision of the Office of the Secretary
General of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, spent N270
million on just clearing of grasses in some IDP camps.
Also being investigated by house committee is the
purported allocation of N188.69 million for Nigerian
refugees living in Minawao, Republic of Cameroon.
At a public hearing on IDPs which held at the National
Assembly yesterday October 6th, the Chairman of the
committee, Sani Zorro, berated the SGF for failing to
honor their invitation to explain how such a huge
amount of money was spent.
“The SGF who was slated to have appeared hasn’t
showed up. He did not write to intimate us on why his
office would not come to explain why issues of
internally displaced persons have remained
disencouraging, in spite of the billions of naira claimed
to have been spent. The PINE officials said he’s at the
village. But, as the secretary to the government under
whose office the rehabilitation of the North-East was
placed, we had expected him to come to throw light on
the financial expenses made by his office.
We also expected him to explain the
implementation framework being used to spend money.
We have been inundated by reports of diversion of
materials and funds meant for the rehabilitation of the
IDPs, and the North-East and the scandal had led to
international embarrassment for the country. Given the
issues of credibility and integrity raised against the
agency in charge of the North-East Initiative (PiNE)
which falls under the SGF office, we had expected him to
respect the invitation.” he said.
However, Executive Secretary in charge of the
Presidential Initiative, Umar Gulani, who testified before
the committee, said that N270 million was awarded as
contract for the removal of 250 kilometres of “invasive
plant species along river channels and simplified village
irrigation scheme (phase II) in Komadugu Basin in
Yobe’’.
The House committee chairman expressed
dissatisfaction with the explanation saying:
"We are of the opinion that the expenditure of the
magnitude you have made is not justified.
It’s not
acceptable that you would spend such a huge amount
of money on the clearing of weeds while 2.5 million
internally displaced victims of terror go hungry. They
have no shelter and medical care.”
