Nation
HEDA Sues AG, Wants Details Of ?173bn MDA Budget
A Federal high Court in Abuja has been asked to compel the Accountant General of the Federation to release details of the N173billion released to various Ministries, Departments and parastatals during Covid-19.
The ministries, parastatals including security agencies, educational institutes and other contractors are alleged to have received some N173billion from federal purse in the first half of 2020 without accounts documentation.
Nigeria’s foremost anti-corruption concern, Human and Environmental Development Agenda, (HEDA Resource Centre) in a motion ex-parte filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja is seeking the order of mandamus to compel the Accountant General of the Federation (AG) to release details of the expenditure up to May 29, 2020.
In what promised to be another historic case, HEDA said the AG’s professionalism and his association or membership of local and international accounting groups is at stake if the court finds him guilty.
HEDA cites Section 6 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999, Order 26, Rule 6, of the Federal High Court as the basis for the judges’ powers.
HEDA submitted as exhibit the publication in the respect of Dataphyte consortium titled, “173 Billion payments without Description Defeats Nigeria’s Open Government Initiative”.
HEDA’s Chairman, Mr. Olanrewaju Suraju said the N173billion payment raises concern about how government parastatals expend public funds adding that his group seeks details to determine if the funds were judiciously utilised and in public interest.
The Dataphyte analysis of data on the open Treasury Portal had indicated that the whopping sum of ?173billion worth 1,353 payments was made to various parastatals between January, 2020, and April, 2020, without descriptions.
HEDA said it made several requests in writing asking the AG to release the expenditure without any response prompting the legal redress.
The group said it is in the public interest that the details were released.
HEDA said there are very strong indications that the office of the Accountant General of the Federation has continued to neglect proper description of payments issued to contractors and government agencies, expressing fear that the trend may defeat transparency and accountability, key elements necessary for good governance.
A breakdown of the figures showed that the zero description payments in January and February were ?5.16billion and ?6.76billion, respectively.
In March and April, 2020, the Federal Government also paid ?85.2billion and ?15.22billion without description.
“The way these payments were made suggests unprofessional accounting procedures that will undermine transparency”, Suraju said.
Analysts contend that most of the payments were made to contractors under the National Rural Electrification Agency, National Directorate of Employment (NDE), Nigerian Navy, Federal Fire Service, Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports development, National Inland Waterways Authority.
Other end users were Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Defence Academy, Nigerian Correctional Service, and Federal Ministry of Niger Delta.
In earlier report, Dataphyte said between January and November, 2019, ambiguous payments were also made.
The values of the questionable transactions were set at ?510.2billion representing 16 percent of the total payments done by the government in the same period.
The group said the description makes it difficult to establish accounts expenditure.
The case has been assigned to Court 3, Federal High Court, Abuja.
Nigeria remains at the lowest rank of Transparency International (TI) rating prompting the country’s continuous decline in global corruption rating.
The Movement for the Survival of the Izon Ethnic Nationality in the Niger Delta (MOSIEND) has called on the Management of Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC to embark on the water projects in Buguma city in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Rivers state
The Group called on the Rivers state government to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
On the water project in Buguma, MOSIEND said the population of Buguma has increased tremendously as the residents need more water projects to enhance the daily livelihood of the people
The Group also appealed to the Chairman of the council to assist in making the project a reality and attracts more developmental projects to the city
This call was on Rhythm 93.7 FM Port Harcourt, Radio program, Talk of the Town, by MOSIEND Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn alongside Mark Ojuka,Chairman of Buguma and Hon Sandra Owunari JP Chairman Obuama and monitored by our correspondent
Comrade Ojuka also called on the Management of Liquidifed Natural Gas NLG to embark on a free medical outreach in all Kala bari communities to improve their health status
He appealed to LNG to award scholarship to indigens of Kalabari communities in tertiary institutions to better their education, noting the company is doing same in Bonny, abandoning Kalabari communities
“We need contracts, free medical, scholarships and employment including skill acquisition programs for our teeming youths in Kalabari extractions ”
On Security, Mark Ojuka said security in Buguma is at zero level with the help of the Ama Ma soldiers the city is more peaceful and investors friendly as the youths of area have cordial relationship with the security agencies in the area
“Security is very secured in Buguma clan”
He called on the Rivers state to revamp the Buguma fish farm to create employment for the teeming youths
“The youths are asking for human capacity building in the area to reduce unemployment”
“The revamping of the Buguma fish farm will also reduce youth violence”
Also Speaking, Eastern Zonal Coordinator of MOSIEND Half Hour Comrade Tammy Bruce Longjohn called for more improve in infrastructures in Kalabari community, especially in electricity
There is little improvement in terms of electricity in Buguma city
He decried the deplorable condition
of Buguma Health Centre, saying that the hospital is near functional
“Our sisters that are pregnant and our sick parents can not access the health centre for a better treatment ”
Describing the Health Centre as an eye saw, he called on Rivers state government and Buguma Local Government chairman Hon William to improve on facilities in the centre and make it more medically accessible to the sick persons in the area
Buguma, Tammy Bruce said is the spiritual headquarter of Kalabari people as such deserve more modern facilities from the government to improve lives
The Coordinator called on government, stakeholders and oil companies to assist and improve the poor infrastructural facilities in area
“We need first class hospitals, qualified medical doctors and nurses in the health centres and hospitals”
On the oil spilled in Obuoma Chairman MOSIEND Obuoma, Hon Sandra Owunari said the spill destroyed their crops and Rivers even polluted their only source of drinking water
She expressed displeasure that Rivers state government did not send any relief materials to the people in the affected community
On Chieftaincy title to women in Obuama, Hon Sandra Owunari said the community do not install Chieftaincy title to women, saying that Chieftaincy title is only reserved for men only in the community
CHINEDU WOSU
-
Business5 days agoCBN Revises Cash Withdrawal Rules January 2026, Ends Special Authorisation
-
Business5 days ago
Shippers Council Vows Commitment To Security At Nigerian Ports
-
Politics4 days agoTinubu Increases Ambassador-nominees to 65, Seeks Senate’s Confirmation
-
Business5 days agoFIRS Clarifies New Tax Laws, Debunks Levy Misconceptions
-
Sports4 days ago
Obagi Emerges OML 58 Football Cup Champions
-
Business5 days agoNigeria Risks Talents Exodus In Oil And Gas Sector – PENGASSAN
-
Business5 days ago
NCDMB, Others Task Youths On Skills Acquisition, Peace
-
Sports4 days agoFOOTBALL FANS FIESTA IN PH IS TO PROMOTE PEACE, UNITY – Oputa