The House of Representatives on Thursday asked the Federal Government to sack the Managing Director of the National Emergency Management Authority, Mr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja.
“Based on the investigation conducted by the Committee, it has been established that the Federal Government of Nigeria lost a total sum of over N33 Billion Naira as a result of mismanagement or outright embezzlement of funds occasioned by the actions or inactions of the Managing Director of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja .
” It is consequently recommended that the Director General of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, be relieved of his duties by the President, Commander in Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria and be handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution,” the report of the committee reads.
Reps in session
The recommendations were listed by the House Committee on Disaster and Emergency Preparedness and adopted in the Committee of Whole by members.
The House also resolved to launch a comprehensive investigation into the receipt and utilization of 20 percent Ecological Fund to NEMA over the years.
The Green Chamber while considering the Rep. Ali Isa-headed committee’s report on “Need to Investigate the Violation of Public Trust in the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA),” also adopted the recommendations that:
“On the issue of donation of 6,779 metric tons of rice by Chinese Government for IDP’s in the North East, the House said the EFCC and ICPC should further investigate NEMA and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Budget and National Planning as it was never received by the beneficiaries.
“That the ICPC, EFCC and Police should ensure recovery of the payment of about N800m demurrage from the concerned officers of the Ministry of Budget and National Planning, Ministry of Agriculture and NEMA.
“That the suspension of six staff of NEMA by its management is an abuse of power, against the extant public service rules and a gross violation of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“That the affected staff below be immediately re-instated by NEMA and the appropriate authorities and all their arrears of entitlements paid: Mr. Akinbola Hakeem -Director, Finance and Accounts, Alhassan Nuhu – Director Disaster & Risk Reduction, Mr. Emenike Umesi – Ag. Director, Special Duties, Mohammed Kanar -Deputy Director Welfare, Mr. Mamman Ibrahim – DD Captain of the Air Ambulance and Yunusa Deji Ganiyu – Asst. Chief Administrative Officer.”
On the issue of receipt and utilization of N1.6 billion for flood victims in 16 states, the House recommended:
“That the ICPC and EFCC should further investigate the matter and recover the sum of N700m from the Director-General of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, who is the Accounting Officer of the Agency.”
On the issue of funds released for emergency intervention of food security in the North-East, the Committee recommends;
“That all the government officials involved in the approval, processing, release and diversion of the sum of N5.8billion for the emergency intervention of food security in the North East, which contravened the provisions of S.80(2) and 80(4) of the Constitution, infraction of due process for procurement and loss of government revenue, flouting of the terms of the Eurobond loan are hereby indicted and the relevant Security Agencies should take steps to recover the money from them;
“That the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) being a banker to the Federal Government should not be involved in giving loans to private companies. Consequently, the N2billion said to be given to four named companies is a fundamental infraction and should be further investigated.”
On the issue of release of N3, 153,000,000.00 to NEMA for food intervention to the North-East, the House recommended:
“That ICPC and EFCC should recover N1,150,000,000.00 being subsidised cost of 5000 metric tons of rice from the present Director General of NEMA, Eng. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, who claimed to have donated same to World Food Programme (WFP) when they were ready to pay for it or import same;
“That in view of the fact that there is evidence that the balance of 5,000 metric tons claimed to have been supplied by Olam Nig. Ltd and 3 Brothers Nig. Ltd at the cost of about N1.5billion to NEMA was not received by the States of the North-East, the money should therefore be recovered from the Director-General, NEMA.”
In addition, the House recommended that the process, procedure, method and cost of evacuation of Nigerians stranded abroad is opaque and should be made more transparent in order to ensure better accountability.
For the unaccounted N17, 889,050,401 released from Ecological Fund to NEMA, the House recommended:
“That NEMA should submit through the appropriate authority all the Ecological funds accruing to it yearly to the National Assembly for Appropriation in order to meet the Constitutional requirements.
“That a comprehensive investigation into the receipt and utilization of 20% Ecological Fund to NEMA over the years be carried out by the House.”
Be the first to comment