News
Reps Query BPP Over N22m Welfare Package, N57m For Travels
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Procurement, yesterday, rebuked the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPE) over a ‘frivolous’ expenditure of N57million on local and international travels and N22million spent on welfare packages for staff during the Covid-19 pandemic.
While N52,073,305 was expended on local travel, N5,697,055 was spent on international travels.
The committee also faulted the BPP for failing to audit government agencies as directed in its establishment act, as the lawmakers noted that only 32 ministries, departments and agencies out of over 850 agencies were discovered to have been audited so far.
The committee also raised concerns over duplication of subheads like training, human development, monitoring and evaluation and surveillance, which seem to mean the same thing as observed by Rep. Benjamin Kalu (APC- Abia).
The House also demanded for the audit report of the BPP between 2016 and 2019 to be submitted before the end of the year.
The following observations and resolutions were reached by the House Committee during a budget defence session with the BPP, yesterday.
This followed a query raised by Rep. Nicholas Ossai (PDP-Delta) on the agency’s 2020 budget performance.
The committee was also piqued by the expenditure of N19million for local and international training of staff.
The lawmakers also queried the inefficiency of BPP on monitoring, surveillance and call centre management whereby the sum of N22million and N38million was released but left unspent.
Meanwhile, documents submitted by BPP to the committee, revealed that a Deputy Director in Account Department from Bade Local Government of Yobe State, Lantewa Fatsuma Lawal, whose date of birth reads 1996 on the agency’s nominal roll was employed in the year 1992, and was promoted to the rank of a deputy director in January, 2019.
According to the Chairman of the committee, Rep. Ali Nasiru Ahmad (Kano- APC), “This committee mandates you to make available all audit reports of 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019.
Consistently, funds have been appropriated for procurement agencies only 32 out of the over 850 that we have”.
On his part, the Director General of BPP, Rep. Mamman Ahmadu, informed the committee that shortage of funds was responsible for their ineffectiveness in carrying out audit of government agencies.
Also, he explained that the discrepancy in the date of birth and date of employment was a typographical error.
Consequently, the DG could hardly give explanation to most of the questions raised by the committee members, which bothered on repetition of budget items and excess expenditure on travels.
Ossai, in raising his motion, demanded that, “the committee should constitute a technical committee to investigate all contracts of BPP.
“Also, application of appropriated funds for the purpose of audit from 2015 to 2019 should also be accounted for. Again, did you receive any funds for procurement audit in 2019”, he asked.
In his response, the DG, Mamman Ahmadu, stated that, “we do not have the record. We are not sure, however, the reason for low performance in auditing is due to lack of funds”.
The Governor of Rivers State, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has begun the celebration of Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary with a Juma’at service where prayers were offered for the progress of the state and Nigeria.
Governor Fubara, who advocated for peace and unity of Nigeria during the prayers on Friday at the Rivers State Central Mosque, Port Harcourt, indicated that without peace, the accelerated development of Nigeria will remain in a limbo.
Governor Fubara, who was represented by Alhaji Abdurrazaq Diepriye, therefore urged citizens to remain patriotic.
According to him, “Allah has brought us this far. Without peace, we can not have progress and economic development. I call on all citizens irrespective of creed or tribe to remain patriotic.”
He thanked President Bola Tinubu for restoring peace in Rivers State while also using the forum to appreciate security agencies for their relentless effort in upholding the peace and unity of Rivers State and Nigeria.
The Chief Imam of Rivers State Central Mosque, Imam Ibrahim Yaloo, admonished Moslem faithful to always speak the truth, adding that those who obey Allah will be directed to good deeds and their sins forgiven.
Prayers were offered for Rivers State and Nigeria.
Other activities to mark the 65th Independence anniversary in the state include an Inter-denominational Church Thanksgiving Service on Sunday, 28th September and Parade Ceremony on Wednesday, 1st October.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima departed New York on Sunday after representing President Bola Tinubu at the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.
In a statement released on Sunday by the VP media aide, Stanley Nkwocha, the Vice President is now headed to Germany, where he will hold strategic meetings with officials of Deutsche Bank.
The statement read, “Vice President Kashim Shettima has departed New York, United States, after successfully representing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, at the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
“During his participation at UNGA 80, VP Shettima secured UN Secretary-General António Guterres’ commendation for Nigeria’s bid for a permanent UN Security Council seat.
“He also showcased Nigeria’s $200 billion energy transition opportunity to global investors and strengthened strategic partnerships with the UK on trade, defence, and migration issues.”
Nkwocha added that the VP delivered Tinubu’s national statement, calling for UN reforms and a permanent seat for Nigeria at the UN Security Council, and “demanded Africa’s control over its $700 billion mineral wealth, and digital inclusion initiatives.”
“He also engaged with the Gates Foundation on healthcare and education expansion, positioning Nigeria as the natural hub for the African Continental Free Trade Area’s $3.4 trillion market.
“VP Shettima was seen off at John F. Kennedy International Airport, New York, by cabinet Ministers who were part of the UNGA 80 delegation and Nigerian Mission officials.”
The aide noted that Shettima will return to Nigeria immediately after his engagements in Germany.
The Tide source recalls that the VP departed Abuja, yesterday.
He led other Nigerian officials at the Assembly.
As part of Nigeria’s 65th Independence anniversary celebration, the Federal Government held a special thanksgiving service on Sunday at the National Ecumenical Centre in Abuja to offer prayers and give thanks for the nation.
The event drew top government officials and security chiefs, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, as well as their spouses.
Other notable guests included Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy Wale Edun, former Plateau State Governor, Senator Simon Lalong, and the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, who led the service chiefs in attendance.
Service chiefs present included the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral Emmanuel Ogala, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Immigration Service, Mrs Kemi Nandap and Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service, Sylvester Nwakuche, among others.00
The service came days after the government unveiled the official theme and some of the activities slated for the 2025 Independence celebrations.
This year’s anniversary is tagged “Nigeria @ 65: All Hands on Deck for a Greater Nation,” as announced by the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen, in a statement on Wednesday.
“As part of activities to mark the 65th Independence Anniversary, the Juma’at Prayer and the Inter-Denominational Church Service will be held on Friday, 26th September at 1 pm and Sunday, 28th September at 10 am respectively, as well as the World Press Conference on Monday, 29th September at 10 am,” he said.
The Tide source had earlier reported that President Bola Tinubu, alongside former Heads of State, Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan, is expected as a special guest at a national discourse convened by the Island Club, Lagos, to mark Nigeria’s 65th Independence Anniversary.
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