The House of Representatives has unveiled plans to investigate N300 billion appropriated for implementation of Zonal/Intervention Projects across the 360 federal constituencies of the federation.
The proposed investigation are coming on the heels of allegations bordering on “sharp practices” leveled against some federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), where the Zonal/Intervention projects were domiciled between 2015 and 2017.
According to the House resolution, the investigation is to be carried out by the House Committee on Constituency Outreach, chaired by Lawal Abubakar Garba (APC-Adamawa).
Statutorily, the Federal Government in consultation with the leadership of the National Assembly unanimously resolved to approve N100 billion for the projects in the federal budget, as part of efforts towards bringing federal presence to the grassroots.
BusinessDay investigation however reveal that the intervention project initiated under President Olusegun Obasanjo has not been audited by successive administrations, giving room for diversion of funds appropriated.
“The disaffection between the suspended chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Abdulmumin Jibrin (APC-Kano) and some principal officers, during the 2016 budget padding scandal confirmed the rot in the system,” one of the lawmakers who pleaded anonymity told BusinessDay.
The House had during Thursday’s plenary, passed a resolution on the ‘Urgent need to widen the scope of investigation by the committee on constituency outreach on the execution of Constituency/Zonal Intervention Projects by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) from 2015 – 2017 To Include Other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)’, which was sponsored by Chukwuma Onyema, Minority Deputy Leader.
In his lead debate, Chukwuma (PDP-Anambra) explained that the House, through its resolution No. HR193/2017 mandated the Committee on Constituency Outreach to investigate the alleged poor/non execution of constituency projects domiciled in the NPHCDA from 2015 – 2017.
According to House, the Committee which is set to commence its assignment, was mandated to “investigate the alleged poor/non execution of constituency projects domiciled in the NPHCDA, excludes these other MDAs.
It was also directed to “widen the scope of its investigation to include MDAs identified in the sharp practice and report back to the House within six weeks for further legislative action.”
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
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