Responding to a query issued by President Muhammadu Buhari over the claims of allegedly failing to pay eligible contractors despite budgetary release of over N98 billion in the 2018 allocation which led to an outstanding of N49 billion, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Dr. Mohammed Bello, has implicated Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Sabo Nanono and his Permanent Secretary, Abdulkadir Mu’azu.
In the query issued by President Mohammadu Buhari, through the Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan, Mohammed was told to respond to the offence of financial misconduct while he was Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
However, in a copy of the response that was sent to the federal government from Mohammed, dated May 14, he disclosed that it was Sabo Nanono and the Federal Executive Council FEC that gave approval for the purchase of the building.
He described the allegations as baseless and without facts alleging that Nanono and Abdulkadir were behind his travail.
“Kindly note that we have been invited, interrogated and cleared by the EFCC and ICPC on this particular matter after glaring facts were presented to them. While denying in totality all the allegations, I hereby forward my representations and response to all the false allegations contained in the query. I am constrained to give details of the transactions I approved to set the records straight and clear my name. I will like to state the following that all transactions at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were approved through administrative processes and principles as traditioned in the conduct of government business. That FMARD runs a rolling budget year in year out as most projects are being captured as ongoing; that all contracts/procurement and payments at the FMARD followed due process. There are procedures for contracts/procurement and payments handled by various departments in all government agencies, FMARD inclusive.
“That my tenure as Permanent Secretary at FMARD commenced from January 10, 2019 to December 18, 2019 and hence cannot be held responsible or liable for actions prior to January 10, 2019. I state that contractors were duly paid. The allegation of contractors not being paid is totally false.
“All contractors whose contract was captured in the 2018 budgetary allocation were paid in accordance with budgetary releases. However, contractors whose contracts are ongoing were rolled over as ongoing. Rollover capital projects are not new in contract management.
“I will state that due process was followed to the latter in the purchase of the said building. After submission of recommendations to the Minister of Agriculture; he approved that Council Memo be made to that effect. We then sent the Memo to the Secretary to Government of the Federation who then scheduled it for Federal Executive Council Approval. Consequently, the Federal Executive Council approved the purchase of the building”.
“It may interest you to know that as I left FMARD in December, 2019, MTB (Ministerial Tenders Board) met that same December 2019 and among the projects approved then includes: The remodelling and partitioning of new office complex; Procurement and installation of 1000KVA generator set; fencing of new office complex and other related auxiliaries; Procurement and Installation of ICT internet at the new office complex and; Procurement and Installation of Solar Energy in FMARD.”
He shared the testimony of God’s grace and mercy in his life at the annual Special Holy Ghost Service, themed “Joy Unspeakable”.
Adeboye narrated how he fell critically ill due to terrible road conditions and was forced to spend Christmas Day in bed for the first time in his life.
He said his condition was so severe that he had to be airlifted from Ilesha to the camp, but local miscreants attempted to prevent the helicopter from taking off, damaging one of the windows in the process.
Despite this harrowing experience, Adeboye expressed his gratitude for God’s benevolence towards him and the ministry.
He attributed his survival to God’s grace and encouraged his congregation to thank God for sparing his life.
He said: “Seven years ago, during this same program, my body broke down completely due to the terrible road conditions. For the first time in my life, I spent Christmas Day in bed. The devil was certain he had finally got me. I collapsed in Ilesha, and to bring me back to the camp, we had to charter a helicopter. I was too weak to travel by road—if I had, I would not have made it.
“They clung to the helicopter, and in the process, one of the windows got torn. But by God’s grace, I managed to reach the camp. I had an assurance that if only I could get to the camp, I would recover. Seven years later, I am still here! I want you to thank God for sparing my life. Please, praise Him for me—give Him glory, honor, and adoration!”
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BREAKING: Governor Fubara invites 27 Lawmakers loyal to Wike for crucial meeting
BREAKING: Governor Fubara invites 27 Lawmakers loyal to Wike for crucial meeting
Rivers State Governor, Siminialayi Fubara, has invited the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, and other lawmakers to a meeting at Government House, Port Harcourt.
In a significant move, the invitation—issued from the Office of the Secretary to the State Government—marks the first time Fubara has officially addressed Amaewhule as the Speaker of the Assembly.
Dated March 7, the invitation references the governor’s March 5 letter, in which he acknowledged receipt of the Supreme Court’s judgment.
“And he has, therefore, directed to invite you and your colleagues, the Honourable members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, to a meeting,” the invitation stated.
The agenda includes discussions on providing a suitable space for the Assembly’s sittings, settling outstanding remuneration and allowances, presenting the budget, and addressing other matters vital to the state’s progress.
The lawmakers have been requested to meet with the governor at his office on Monday, March 10, at 10 a.m.
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Why I lost my Senate re-election bid in 2019 – Famous Senator opens up
Why I lost my Senate re-election bid in 2019 – Famous Senator opens up
A former Kaduna lawmaker, Sen. Shehu Sani, said he lost his senate re-election bid in 2019 because he opposed the former Gov.
Nasir El-Rufai’s move to obtain a 340 million dollars foreign loan.
Sani, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District in the Eighth Senate, stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Sunday.
“I was insistent on speaking truth to power, and that was why I lost my re-election bid in 2019. Former Gov. Narsir El-Rufai was going for a 340 million dollar loan and we said ‘No’.
“”Some of us told him that such a venture would impact negatively on our people, but he went ahead and did that, while he perceived us as his political enemies.
“”This political battle with El-Rufai affected several other politicians, resulting in our leaving the party en masse.
“My own very case was that I stood up to the governor and I paid the price by losing my seat,” he said.
The popular pro-democracy activist, however, said that today, he had been vindicated.
“At that time, the governor was opposed to me; the state assembly members were opposed to me and many political figures there were opposed to me.
“Today, I am vindicated because even the governor of the state today has made it public how the finances and the economy of the state have been strangulated by that loan.
“Many projects were littered, uncompleted and abandoned all over the state. Kaduna today has become the second highest indebted state in the country.
“So I am vindicated, even though I lost my seat,” he said.
Sani said he was satisfied with the role he played on the controversial loan at that time.
“I’m satisfied that, at least, when I die, nobody will look to my grave and say this is the person who signed an approval for the loan that we are going to pay in 100 years.
“The vindication is more important to me than my return to the National Assembly,’’ he said.
The former lawmaker attributed the failure of most members of the national assembly to return to their refusal to be loyal to their governors.
This, he said, often resulted in high turn-out of lawmakers in each election year.
Sani, however, said that the high number of new lawmakers in national and state houses of assembly at every election year was not the best for Nigeria’s democracy.
He said that in the developed world, such as India and the United States, some lawmakers would be in the legislature for 30, 40 and 50 years.
“But in Nigeria, if you are a senator and you are fond of standing up every time to speak truth to the power, you will hardly come back to that national assembly.
“If what you are doing or saying is particularly contrary to the interests of the governor of your state, you will not come back to the national assembly,’’ he said.
The former senator also said that irrespective of a lawmaker’s qualifications, he could only emerge as senate president or speaker of the house if he happened to be the favourite of the executive.
“It’s only during Buhari’s time that a mistake was made in 2015 which made Buhari lose the election at the national assembly.
“Then his adversary Sen. Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara took over and you could see what happened for four years.
“ So, if you are elected as a governor of a state, your life is dependent on the state assembly and you cannot allow your enemy to take over.
“So, you will bring someone whose first qualification is not that he speaks good English, second qualification is not that he is competent, third qualification is not that he is good looking and fourth qualification is not that he knows how to make laws.
“The first qualification of a person who is going to be a speaker is that he is 100 per cent loyal to the governor or the president,’’ Sani said.(NAN)