The House of Representatives has ordered an investigation into the alleged missing of about N100 billion in the North East Development Commission (NEDC).
The House for that purpose on Thursday, mandated its joint committee on Finance, Public Procurement and NEDC to “exhaustively investigate (the) allegations and report back in eighth weeks.
This came as result of a motion by the Minority Leader, Ndudi Elumelu on the investigation reported sleaze and misappropriation of the said sum by the relatively new agency.
Elumelu in the motion recalled that the NEDC was established with a mission of coordinating funds accruing from the federation account and donor agencies for the purposes of rehabilitating and resettling of victims of insurgency, reconstruction of homes, infrastructural development and tackling of illiteracy in the Northeastern part of the country.
He argued however that “there has been massive displacement of Nigerian citizens in the Northeast as a result of the activities of Boko Haram insurgents, where houses, schools, mosques, churches , farmlands and businesses were destroyed thereby rendering people homeless and jobless”.
He said there were allegations of how the managing director and his close associates diverted funds meant for the commission to purchasing of choice properties in highbrow neighborhoods of Abuja, Kaduna and Maiduguri to the detriment of the suffering refugees and infrastructural development.
“These consistent abuse of procurement laws if not put to check may defeat the purpose for the establishment of the commission, hence the need for an urgent investigation,” he submitted.
