In the report of the probe carried out by the House on alleged diversion of cash and relief materials worth N33 billion meant for Independent Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North-East, the House called for the reinstatement of all six directors sacked by Maihaja after assuming office as DG. The House in its consideration approved all recommendations in the report of the Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness which investigated violation of public trust in NEMA. The lawmakers explained while considering the report at the “committee of the whole” that based on the investigation of the special committee that probed NEMA, it established various financial infractions on the part of Engineer Maihaja where the federal government lost a total sum of over N33billion. The probe panel headed by Honourable Ali Isah from Gombe revealed that the huge loss was as a result of embezzlement and outright mismanagement by the actions and in actions of Engineer Maihaja who is the accounting officer and Managing Director of NEMA. “Consequently, the House recommended that the Director General of NEMA, Engineer Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, be relieved of his duties by the President, Commander in Chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria and be handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution”, the report stated. The lawmakers noted that much of the funds stolen were from NEMA’s allocation from the Ecological Fund, approvals and releases by the federal government on North-East intervention as well as cost implication on the 6,779 metric tons of rice donated by the Chinese government to IDPs in the North-East, which were stolen. Other recommendations made by the lawmakers include, reinstatement and payment of all arrears of entitlements of six suspended directors of the Agency. “NEMA, Agric, Budget and Planning ministries should account for the stolen rice donated by the Chinese but did not get to the beneficiaries while the ICPC, EFCC and the Police should probe further and prosecute where necessary. “ICPC, EFCC and Police should investigate some officers of NEMA, Budget, Agric ministries to ascertain if there was multiple payment for demurrage and where there is such occurrence, the affected officers should be prosecuted. “That all government officials involved in the approval, processing, release and diversion of the sum of N5.8billion for emergency intervention of food security in the North-East, which contravened the provisions of S.80 (2) of the constitution, infraction of due process for procurement and loss of government revenue, flouting of the terms of the Eurobond loan are hereby indicted and the relevant security agencies should take steps to recover the money from them.” On the sacked senior staff, the House noted that the action of NEMA management smacks of abuse of power against extant public service rules and a gross violation of Section 36 of the 1999 Constitution (amended). Meanwhile, the House has warned the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to stop providing loans to private companies and calls for a probe into N2 billion given to four companies, while the balance of 5,000 metric tons of rice claimed to have been supplied by Olam, and 3 Brothers Nigeria Ltd, at the cost of N1.5 billion, should be recovered from the NEMA DG, among other recommendations from findings by the House Special Committee.]]>

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