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A civil society organisation (CSO), Accountability Discussion board, has faulted the Federal Ministry of Works over an alleged diversion of about N60 billion meant to sort out floods throughout the nation.
Led by Mr Magnus Anthony, the discussion board claimed that the monies had been taken from the N185 billion budgeted for flood management infrastructures within the not too long ago amended 2022 supplementary funds.
Recall that the Nationwide Meeting had not too long ago amended the 2022 supplementary funds with the sum of N185 billion earmarked for cost to contractors dealing with work on flood management infrastructure.
Nevertheless, the discussion board alleged that slightly than pay the contractors, most of who’ve accomplished their work, officers of the Ministry of Works have reportedly concluded plans to award new contracts which cowl objects that don’t have any direct bearing with flood management, for which the cash was budgeted.
The discussion board famous that what appears to be like like a young’s board assembly was held final week Wednesday by the everlasting secretary and the director of procurement, in a bid to legitimise the multi-billion-naira contract.
In response to the CSO, letters are being issued to some chosen contractors when there was no commercial, no prequalification or bidding accomplished in step with the requirement of the regulation.
“It’s extra annoying to say the least, when one recollects that the contract was clearly for objects that don’t have any direct bearing on flood management. For example, why ought to cash earmarked for flood management be used to award contracts for photo voltaic road lights or provide of Keke NAPEP”.
The discussion board enjoined the everlasting secretary to urgently pay contractors by prioritizing those who have accomplished their work as a substitute of awarding new contracts and insisted that the choice to make use of a part of the cash to award new contracts when contractors are being owed was self-serving.
It alleged that the contemporary contracts are awarded on to some members of the Nationwide Meeting or their proxies and insisted that many of the initiatives captured within the 2022 amended supplementary funds are being dealt with by lawmakers.
“After chopping down the funds to N185bn, the lawmakers ensured that the majority of the sum is allotted to initiatives dealt with instantly by them or their proxies.
“Tasks like the development of Kano-Kwanar Danja-Hadeijia highway value N28billion is being dealt with by the chairman of the appropriation committee within the Home of Representatives by his proxy.
“Different initiatives being dealt with by the lawmakers or their proxies embody N5billion allotted below FERMA for completion of Yanfada-Kunchi-Bagwai highway; development of Yarmawa-Jakata-Farinruwa-Tsanyawa-Tofa highway value N6.2bn reportedly being dealt with by the deputy Senate President or his proxy; N16.6bn Katsina-Ala/Takum highway; rehabilitation of Kanya Babbura-Buban Mutum highway in Jigawa which is to gulp N14bn.”
Whereas calling for outright cancellation of the brand new contracts, Anthony stated the CSO wouldn’t hesitate to mobilise for mass protest whilst he threatened to tug key officers of the ministry to court docket ought to they not halt the deliberate contract.
‘We’ll mobilise different organisations to protest towards this brazen misuse of our commonwealth,” he stated, including that the CSOs was in help of the strikes by some indigenous contractors to embark on protests towards some officers of the works ministry.
He additionally enjoined related authorities businesses to analyze officers of the Ministry of Works, particularly the everlasting secretary.
“We name now, as we did earlier, on President Bola Tinubu to redress it instantly and rethink his resolution on the N500bn palliatives. The cash ought to be returned and used for the flood management infrastructure, which it was initially budgeted for.”
The strikes to award new contracts is approaching the heels of a menace by some indigenous contractors to embark on mass protest upon the expiration of a seven-day ultimatum issued to the everlasting secretary within the works ministry.
The contractors alleged that the ministry didn’t deal with their recordsdata and therefore, stalled funds on account of them.
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