FG: N423BN N’DELTA PROJECTS MISAPPROPRIATED UNDER YAR’ADUA, JONATHAN

L-R: Goodluck Jonathan, late Umaru Yar'Adua.

The Federal Government yesterday said that about N423 billion released for the execution of projects in the Niger Delta between 2009 and 2015 during the Umaru Yar’Adua and Goodluck Jonathan administrations was misappropriated. It said only 12 per cent of the funds was utilized for delivering on the projects with about 88 per cent of the amount misused by various officials handling the projects.The re-evaluation came from a technical audit committee report. Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Usani Usani, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of yesterday’s Federal Executive Council meeting (FEC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He said a total of N700 billion was actually appropriated within the period, but 60 per cent was expended, amounting to over N423 billion. The Niger Delta Minister told reporters that all those who have accessed government resources for the projects must make adequate use of the released sum or face adequate sanctions as recommended by the panel.

“To find that N423 billion has been expended in the region with this type of result we see shows that there is something tangibly and obviously wrong with how procurement had been carried out in the ministry,” the minister said. Usani explained that within the period under review, the number of contracts awarded or projects carried out were 427.

On sanctions, he said the measure of action to be taken to address the shortfall of expectations of commitment to contractual agreement will be the determinant of what will be done. According to him, “those that require sanctions will be sanctioned, and the sanctions may not be uniform. It will also be according to the measure of liabilities owed by each of those contractors.

“Some should be compelled to return to site; some of course, should be made to refund money. “The report is not just all about punishing people. There are also those who have performed well and are commended and the report recommends that they should be encouraged to carry on in their contractual commitments.” The minister downplayed plans to purge the ministry, saying, “I can’t confirm because there are procedures and rules.”

Usani disclosed that the Federal Government plans to seek a $500 million extra budgetary special loan from China to facilitate the construction of the East-West road in the Niger Delta area. “As you know, no government agency is sufficiently funded, that becomes a major challenge.

The second issue is to address the concern about commitment or lack of it by government. No administration, to the best of my knowledge, within a democratic setting, has been more committed than this present government. “And demonstration in this is the action of this administration to go ahead and seek extra budgetary special loan, credit from China to the tune of $500 million. Now we are making a fresh application to increase that to $774 million,” he said.

This report is coming seven years after the death of the former president, Umaru Yar’Adua.