Reps request contract details on waterways security from Amaechi

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Petitions on Tuesday ordered the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi and other stakeholders to submit all documents relating to the contract awarded to an Israeli Security firm to secure the Nigerian waterways within 72hours.

The Committee chaired by Rep Uzoma Nkem-Abonta, PDP, Abia gave the 72 hours ultimatum after a series of meetings with relevant stakeholders yet the contract papers could not be presented to the Committee.

The lawmakers in session also asked all the stakeholders not to commence work until the House finally resolves the matter.

During the investigative hearing, Abonta said: “we’ve been demanding for this document and this about the 8th hearing on this issue.

“If the contractual documents and agreements could not be produced within the next 72hours we’ll be forced to close this matter and make our recommendations to the House.

At this point, Rep Rotimi Agunsoye told his colleagues that: “there’s no point giving the stakeholders extra 72hours since tax payers’ money was involved, we should just close the matter.

But Abonta intervened insisting: “let us still give them the benefit of the doubt after 72hours we can close the matter.

“For now my ruling is that all relevant stakeholders should stay action in all activities pending the outcome of House resolution on the issue.

“We have wasted so much parliamentary time in this issue that we will close the matter immediately after 72hours.

It could be recalled that ten Civil Society Organisations, CSOs had last October petitioned the Minister of Transportation and others that awarding such a contract to a foreign firm to secure our waterways will amount to ceding our territorial waterways.

Henry Omunu, Abuja