Senate queries N800m NIWA security vote

The Senate yesterday queried the sum of N800 million requested for purchase of security equipment by the Nigeria Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA).
It issued the query to NIWA Acting Managing Director, Danladi Ibrahim, when he appeared before its Committee on Marine Transport to defend the Authority’s 2018 budget.
The Committee wondered why the Authority requested for N800 million in the 2018 budget for purchase of security equipment, the same amount it received in 2017 budget for the same purpose.
It stated that out of the N800 million, the Authority spent N790 million in 2017 which is over 90 per cent of the appropriated fund.
Chairman of the committee, Ahmed Sani Yerima, observed that the Authority failed to provide details and specifications of how it planned to spend the money it requested for approval.
He said: “You said you want to do something; the same amount last year, the same amount this year.
There are no details, no explanations, and no form of specification whatsoever.
This is unacceptable.
” A member of the Committee, Mohammed Hassan, said Ibrahim and his team should be asked to go back and do the right thing.
“You are doing construction, the locations are not known.
You have a project of N1.2 billion which you requested for in 2017, you have received over 90 per cent, you requested for the same amount in 2018.
The right thing should have been for you to request for the remaining balance,” he said.