Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, yesterday, queried the Nigeria Ports Authority (NPA) over the N7.5 billion contract for shore reclamation and erosion protection allegedly awarded to an indigenous contractor in 2012.
The committee said the contract which was intended to be executed within 14 months has seemingly been abandoned and called on the relevant government agency to unveil the owner and board of directors of the company.
The lawmaker also queried claims by the NPA that it is still owing the company N500million, despite the alleged non-completion of the project.
This is coming as the committee summoned all the managing director/CEOs of insurance companies engaged by the NPA to appear before it. The panel also sought explanation from the agency over the payment of N128 million insurance premiums allegedly without any evidence of insurance policy, expenditure of N12.5 million on community relations, alleged expenditure of N539.453 million and N19.500 million on purchase of 3 Toyota Hilux with no documentary evidence of purchase among others.
The committee also queried plans by the NPA management to write-off some debts owed the agency that lasted for 10 years and above.
The committee chairman, Wole Oke, while challenging the agency to provide the law, where it derives the powers to write-off debts, directed the NPA management to furnish the committee with the list of all the properties, for which it is considering debt cancellation, names of all the occupants, tenancy agreements and actual rent owed, for necessary legislative action.