The House of Representatives Committee on Women Affairs and Social Development has called Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, Minister of Women Affairs, to appear before it on Tuesday, July 9, to explain the alleged diversion of over N1.5 billion allocated for contractor payments. Hon.
Kafilat Ogbara (APC, Lagos), chairman of the committee, gave the directive during an interactive session with ministry officials.
According to Ogbara, the minister is expected to present the necessary documents to defend the money’s location.
The interactive session came after contractors from the ministry petitioned the House about nonpayment for contracts worth billions of Naira.
The committee also ordered the Ministry to halt all contract proceedings in 2024 until the problem of alleged diverted funds is rectified.
The committee also requested that the minister present details of the claimed special account set up for the Chibok girls, as well as the agreement of understanding inked with the American University of Nigeria for the girls’ training.
The committee chairman claimed that the Ministry began new contracts that were not included in the 2023 budget and diverted N1.5 billion to those contracts rather than paying existing contractors.
Hon. Kafilat Ogbara stated that the Ministry awarded new contracts in 15 states of the federation that were not included in the 2023 appropriation while owing contractors.
“Money for contractors has not been paid and money released has been diverted. So how do you pay these contractors”, she asked.
She added that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) is currently investigating the Ministry on the November/December 2023 overhead release of N1.5 billion.
She stated that the ministry signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the American University of Nigeria, Yola, for the payment of Chibok girls’ education fees for seven years.
The committee is looking into N1.5 billion that was purportedly meant for contractor payments but was misappropriated by Ministry officials.
Responding to some of the claims, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Amb. Gabriel Aduda revealed that in 2023, the ministry’s overall budget was N13.6 billion, with N3.4 billion, or 25%, and an unreleased balance of N10.2 billion.”
Aloy Ifeakandu, Director of Finance at the Ministry, stated that he solely follows formal directions from his superiors. He stated that the records are available.
He said: “I resumed the ministry in September 2023, I wouldn’t know what happened before I came. The individual contractors have their files, it can be traced, as at the time I took over, there was no balance in the vote.”
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Nnamdi Okoli
