House of Reps To Probe Agric Ministry Pver N18.9b contract for bush clearing

Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Public Account, Woke Oke, has said the House is investigating the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development over the award of contracts worth N18.9 billion to several companies to clear bushes during the COVID-19 lockdown.

Oke, who spoke at the resumed investigative hearing of the committee, said the House was interested in finding out the location of the projects and their significance.

The House, he said, had summoned officials of the ministry and the companies involved to appear before it.

But the companies that were supposed to appear before the House yesterday did not, and no reason was given for their absence.

Oke said the companies are to “appear before the committee on investigation of contracts awarded by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of roads, bush clearing, land preparation and rehabilitation of soil and plant laboratories video utilisation of funds from Service Wide vote between 2013 and 2021, totalling N18,924,004,359.38”.

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He added: “During the lockdown, as a result of COVID-19, some companies took contracts worth about N18 billion for bush clearing from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture for land preparation, rehabilitation of soil plant lab and others. We cannot shave their heads in their absence.

“So, we have invited them to come and give us their own side by responding to the issues and show us the places they are supposed to have cleared. They have to take us to the land they cleared.

“We have invited the Ministry of Agriculture (officials) and they have made submissions. But some of their members, whose constituencies these projects were supposed to be domiciled, doubted the existence of the projects.

“For fair hearing, we have invited the companies that got the contracts for them to come and tell this committee where and when the jobs were executed.

“We will wait till the end of hearing today to see if they will appear. If they are not here, we will do the needful to get them to come.”

Also, the House of Representatives ad hoc committee probing subsidies from 2017 to 2021 has summoned Sahara Energy to appear before it on September 7.

Committee Chairman Ibrahim Aliyu berated the company for failing to appear at yesterday’s investigative hearing without sending any communication for its action.

The lawmaker said issues were raised about the company’s legal status, among others, that needed to be addressed in the ongoing fuel subsidy probe.

“The investigative hearing continued today (August 16) and we were supposed to have in appearance Sahara Energy Limited. On Tuesday, August 9, Sahara Energy appeared before the committee. There were issues raised concerning their legal status which have to do with the company’s profile.

“It was resolved by this committee that Sahara Energy should appear on August 16 to give more clarification on the company’s legal status and other issues as resolved by this committee.

“As you can see, up till this time, Sahara Energy could not avail themselves. We regard this as a total disregard to the constitutional provisions and the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and a deliberate attempt to subvert the work of this committee by Sahara Energy.

“We could not receive any communication from them informing this committee of their non-appearance today.

“In line with this and the express mandate given to this committee by the provisions of sections 88 and 89 of the Constitution of Nigeria, as amended, this committee hereby summons Sahara Energy to appear before it on September 7, 2022, unfailingly, with all the issues they were mandated to provide before the committee,” he said.

Aliyu said the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is also expected to appear before the committee today, while Hyde Energy, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Ministry of Finance are to appear before the committee tomorrow.