Reps panel discovers NUC’s duplication of annual budget

Tom Okpe, Abuja

A Committee of the House of Representatives at its inaugural meeting on Tuesday discovered that the National Universities Commission, NUC duplicated it’s annual budget between 2017 to the presentation year, 2021.

Abubakar Makki Yalleman, Chairman ad hoc committee on the need to ‘Investigate Capital Projects Executed and Funds Repeated in Appropriation Acts by Ministries, Departments and Agencies, (MDAs)’ of the House of Representatives revealed that there have been multi million naira contract repetition by the commission over the years.

While declaring the Committee’ public hearing open at the National Assembly Complex, Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila decried low turn out of government agencies expected to appear before the panel.

Represented by the House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Gbajabiamila warned erring government agencies to be prepared to render their financial accounts for public scrutiny, adding that the committee will not be deterred from carrying out it’s responsibilities.

Commencing proceedings, Yalleman also expressed misgivings about the low turn out of government agencies, pointing that he had expected permeant secretaries and Directors’ of Procurement of Ministries invited to be in attendance, to render their accountable dealings, assuring that; “despite Laxity of the agencies invited, the committee will not take the assignment for granted.”

Director, Finance and Administration of NUC, John Abah represented by Sam Onazi could not offer satisfactory explanation to the lawmakers as the bulky documents he tendered did not detail the award of contracts from 2017.

The Committee however, gave a week ultimatum to the Commission to go through its records and resubmit it’s detailed accounts for proper scrutiny.

After listening to the presentation of the Economic and Financial Crime commission, EFCC which was certified okay, adjourned to Wednesday, 28 April, 2021 when it promised to hear from five ministries.