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.Demand nominal roll of staff, account statement, project specification
.Summon CEOs of insurance coys over NHF
Jonas Ezieke, Abuja
The House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on Utilization of Ecological funds and other intervention funds into the Great Green Wall Project on Wednesday began Investigation into why billions of naira being tax payers’ money had been expended by the agency without much successes achieved over environmental challenges
Chairman of the House panel Hon.Dabo Ismaila Haruna said at the hearing that the probe panel had invited relevant stakeholders including the National Agency for the Great Green Wall, the Federal Ministry of Environment, the Ecological Funds Office, the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and state governments to shed light on the utilization of the funds on the Great Green Wall Project.
The lawmaker also said that the House Committee had requested from these stakeholders’ relevant documents on the nominal roll of staff of the agencies, the annual audited account statements, capital project operations account, bank details and other relevant documents
At the hearing, the Committee said it had uncovered from available documents submitted to it that over N81 billion had been extended by the lead agency in tree planting in eleven frontline states in the North-East and North -West geo-political zones being covered by the agency.
The Committee also quizzed the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN over seven accounts opened by the agency and domiciled with the CBN and noted that one of the agency’s project funds is in domiciliary accounts.
Other infractions committed by the agency as queried by the probe panel include N697.17 million spent on renovation of office accommodation, N11. 28 billion on capital projects, listing of lawmakers constituency project as its project and exclusion of three states in the tree planting in the arid zones
The Great Green Wall Project according to the Director-General of the agency Dr.Yusuf Maina Bukar was a flagship project and brainchild of the Federal Ministry of Environment to address drought, deforestation, and some other environmental challenges in the arid zones of Nigeria.
He said that the agency’s main source of funding is from 15,% of Ecological Funds and Federal Allocation adding that over 21 million trees had been planted in the chosen northern states to forestall desert encroachment.
Fielding questions from some other members of the House panel on the statistics of the trees planted, he said that 21 million trees were planted adding that some of the tree were not seen due to vandalism while some other environmental challenges and other factors affected others.
In a presentation before the House Committee, the Accountant-General of the Federal Oluwatoyin Madein represented by a Deputy Director Irene Nwangwu said that the agency had received a total of N19, 377, 726,506.95
The Committee Chairman Hon.Haruna said that the agencies that were invited by the Committee must reappear on Tuesday September 2, 2023 at 11.00am
for the continuation of the Investigation.
Similarly, the House of Representatives Ad hoc committee investigating non-remittance to the National Housing Fund (NHF) and utilisation of the funds from 2011 has summoned Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of insurance companies.
This is to explain the reason for over N267 billion unremitted workers investment in NHF only for the year 2019.
Hon Dachung Bagos, the Chairman of the committee issued the summon following their failure to appear before the committee in Abuja on Tuesday to explain the unremitted fund.
He said the insurance companies should come and explain why they are still owing over N267 billion of workers investment to NHF in 2019.
He said the National Insurance Commission (NICON) must show proof of insurance companies who were in default of remitting workers investment to Federal Mortgage Bank of Nigeria (FMBN).
He said the insurance companies should come along with all the amount they had remitted to FMBN, adding that they should also provide evidence of sanctions to those who had defaulted.
According to him, in 2019 alone 54 insurance companies have not remitted N267 billion.
“They need to tell us where the money is. This figure does not include 2020 to 2023.
“We have the law but we are not working with the law rather we complain on a daily basis, ” he said.
Dachung said the 10th House of Representatives would address the issue, adding that all the concerned CEOs must appear not less than Tuesday next week.
Contributing, Hon Kama Nkemkanma (LP-Ebonyi), a member of the committee said: “what we are talking about here involves billions of unremitted money, I will want us to be more serious.
He called on the CEOs of insurance companies to appear rather than sending their subordinates, saying that there was the need to get to the bottom of the problem.
Committee member Hon.Timilehin Adelegbe (APC-Ondo), also a member of the committee said the issue of non remittance of workers NHF contribution was not something to joke with.
He said: “For any outstanding unremitted fund, the CEOs should be held responsible and if they failed by next hearing, we will publish their names.
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