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From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development has summoned the Minister of Women Affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, to appear before it next week over N1.5 billion approved for payment of contractors, which allegedly cannot be traced.
The chairman of the Committee, Khilifat Ogbara, issued the summon at an investigative hearing organised by the Committee on a petition by some contractors over the alleged failure of the ministry to pay them for the job done.
The panel also ordered the Women’s Affairs Ministry to halt contracts in the 2024 budget until issues relating to the “missing” N1. 5billion is resolved.
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Ogbara directed the Ministry to also furnish the lawmakers with details of the Special Account created for the Chibok girls, as well as the Memorandum of Understanding( MoU) with the American University of Nigeria, Yola for the payment of the school fees of the Chibok girls for seven years.
She said, “We are giving till Tuesday for the ministry to bring all documents to come and defend where the N1.5bn disappeared to.”
The lawmaker stated that information at the disposal of the committee indicated that the Ministry allegedly initiated new contracts not captured in the 2023 budget while failing to account for N1.5 billion meant for the payment of old contractors.
However, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Ambassador Gabriel Aduda who exonerated himself, explained that in “2023 we had a total budget of N13.6billion, the total release was N3.4billion, translating to 25 percent, budget utilization N3.4billion, while unreleased balance stood at N10.2billion.”
