Reps ask commission to account for grant

A House of Representatives panel yesterday asked the National Commission for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons to give full account of grants it got from the Swiss Government.

The committee on IDPs, refugees and North East initiatives chaired by Sani Zorro (APC, Jigawa) was concerned that the commission did not include the grant as part of its 2017 budget documents.

But the agency’s National Commissioner, Sadiya Umar Farouk, said details were not included because the grant was not appropriated by the National Assembly.

She said the grant to the commission was as a result of a partnership and that it was in kind, not in cash, saying the commission has been giving full account to the Swiss government.

Zorro insisted that in as much as the grant was to be utilized for the Nigerian public, the National Assembly being the custodian of public funds should have details. Thus, the panel asked the commission to produce all details related to the grant.

The panel also asked the commission to provide details of the 92 junior staff it recruited last year to include their states of origin, their grade levels among others.

On the 2018 budget proposal, the national commissioner said the commission submitted a proposal of N6.3bn as its proposal to the Budget Office, but that N4.4bn was approved.

She appealed to the panel to look into the commission’s predicament and up its proposal if possible with a view to enhancing its work. The panel promised to look into her request.