- The House of Representatives says it wants documents that proves that NEMA actually spent N1.6 billion to repatriate Nigerians from Libya when the task was handled by NAPTIP
- The House also wants to know why NEMA reportedly spent about N11 billion it received in 2017 from the ecological fund without appropriation
- It says the agency's 2018 budget proposal cannot be considered without proper explanation of the performance of the 2017 estimates
The budget of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) suffered a major setback for the second time in one week as a committee of the House of Representatives refused to consider the proposal over improper documentation.
Premium Times reports that the committee on emergency and disaster sent back the management of the agency for its inability to defend its 2017 budget performance. As a result, the committee is yet to consider the agency’s 2018 budget proposal
According to the report, the agency said it spent a total amount of N1.6 billion on repatriation and rehabilitation of Nigerian refugees from Libya and that the expenditure covers airlifting of returnees from Tripoli to Port Harcourt, fact-finding negotiation mission to Libya, international and local media and publicity and others.
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However, the committee, deputy chairman, Ali Isa (PDP-Gombe), noted that this was being handled by NAPTIP and the refugees commission. It therefore asked the management of NEMA to present some documents to back some of its claims.
The report quoted the agency as claiming though its managing director, Mustapha Maihaja, that aside its appropriated budget, its establishment act empowers it to spend its ecological fund as it so wishes.
Maihaja reportedly said his agency received about N11 billion in 2017 from the ecological fund and that the president gave the approval for its expenditure without appropriation.
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Among other requirements, the committee demanded all documentary communications between the presidency and the agency over this. The next sitting has been fixed for March 5, 2018.
NAIJ.com earlier reported that the chairman, House of Representatives committee on youth development, Honourable Segun Adekola, accused the federal government of relegating Nigerian youths to the background.
Honourable Adekola made the remarks when a delegation from Youth Initiative for Advocacy Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday, February 21, at the National Assembly.
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Source: Naija.ng