ABUJA—THE House of Representatives yesterday demanded the immediate sack of the Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Maihaja, over the loss of N33 billion and violation of public trust.
The House also mandated the anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission, ICPC, and the Nigerian Police Force to further investigate the DG and impose appropriate sanctions where necessary.
The resolutions were reached sequel to the consideration of the report of the House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness on the need to investigate the Violation of Public Trust in NEMA at yesterday’s plenary.
It will be recalled that sundry allegations were levelled against the NEMA for which the House embarked on the investigation.
Recall also that the sum of N5,865,671,939.26 was approved and released in June 2017 via a memo raised from the Office of the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo who was then working as the Acting President, directing the then Hon. Minister of Finance, Mrs. Kemi Adeosun and the Accountant General of the Federation to so act on the emergency intervention of food security to the North-East to support the population ravaged by insurgency.
Details of the memo further specified a directive to the Governor of CBN, Mr. Godwin Emefiele from the Ministry of Finance to pay the sum from the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account which the AGF was to raise a mandate for.
However, the House said that this was in contravention of approval of National Assembly on the issuance of Euro Bond from which the Hon. Minister authorized the payment.
According to the lawmakers, the Euro Bond is for specified infrastructural projects and not for discretionary intervention, adding that there is no specific appropriation by the National Assembly.
