N/Delta ministry to check projects duplication

The Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs (MNDA) has established a platform for all agencies participating in the development of the region not to duplicate efforts as regards projects.

Speaking at the second meeting with governors from Niger Delta States and oil companies in Abuja, the Minister for Niger Delta, Uguru Usani said, the platform was to prevent various agencies from duplicating projects in the region. This was as the Federal Executive Council Wednesday uncovered a scam of N423 billion contracts awarded in the region from 2009 to 2015.

The council, at a meeting chaired by Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, was told that the 427 projects, for which the money was spent, were found to have been at only 12 percent execution.

Uguru revealed this to the FEC, while presenting the report of a project technical audit committee, which investigated all contracts awarded as well as projects and programmes carried out from the inception of the ministry in 2009 to 2015.

Addressing State House reporters later, Uguru said the situation showed that there was something “tangibly and obviously wrong with how procurement had been carried out in the ministry.”

The minister, who said the FEC approved the report, disclosed that 60% of the N700 billion was “actually” appropriated for various projects in the region within the period had been released to the contractors.

He said the council agreed that the recommendations of the report be conveyed to the legitimate agencies charged with the statutory responsibilities of recovering government assets that are either misappropriated, misused or “funds to idling in some quarters.”

According to him, this implies that all those who accessed the funds must be compelled to make adequate use of same or face sanctions “that go with such violations.”