Metro

SGF allegedly approved N270m to cut grasses in IDPs camps

Published

8 years ago

October 7, 2016

House of Representatives committee probing the alleged diversion of funds and materials meant for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), has lamented the supposed used of N270million to cut grasses at IDPs camps by the office of the Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF).

This is even as the committee has cried out that its efforts to unravel what actually happened with the N12 billion allocated for (IDPs) and the North-East is being frustrated by the SGF, Mr Babachir David Lawal, failure to show up at an investigative hearing on Thursday to explain how his office spent the fund.

The Mohammed Sani Zoro-led committee is also investigating the Presidential Initiative on the North-East (PINE) on how it spent N188.685 million for Nigerian refugees living in Minawao in Republic of Cameroon and Niger.

“The SGF who was slated to have appeared hasn’t showed up. He did not write to intimate us on why his office would not come to explain why issues of internally displaced persons‎ have remained un-encouraging, in spite of the billions of naira claimed to have been spent.

“The PINE officials said he’s at the villa. But, as the secretary to the government under whose office the rehabilitation of the North-East was placed, we had expected him to come to throw light on the financial expenses made by his office.

“We also expected him to explain the implementation framework being used to spend money. We have been inundated by reports of diversion of materials and funds meant for the rehabilitation of the IDPs, and the North-East and the scandal had led to international embarrassment for the country,” Zoro said.

By Ebere Ndukwu …

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