From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
House of Representatives Committee on National Emergency and Disaster yesterday rejected the presentation of the Director General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Maihaja, on how he allegedly spent N13 billion within one month.
The NEMA DG, who appeared before the committee yesterday, had hardly begun his presentation when the lawmakers raised an observation that they had the document. The copies of Maihaja presentation was quickly distributed to the committee members. However, the lawmakers said the session could no longer continue, as they would need time to study the document.
Consequently, the Committee asked the NEMA DG to adopt the document and reappear before it on Wednesday next week.
The House Committee had, at its meeting on Tuesday, ordered the NEMA DG, who, according to it, had evaded invitations three consecutive times, to appear before it yesterday, unfailingly.
The Committee had threatened to issue a warrant of arrest against Maihaja if he failed to honour its summon. The chairman of the Committee, Hon Jibrin Santumari, had said “the DG was supposed to appear before us today to explain how he spent N13bn in one month.
He sent a letter less than an hour ago that he’s in Maiduguri.”
He added that “the main issue is for him to explain the utilisation of ecological and intervention funds as well as the flood in the Northeast.”
Santumari explained that the NEMA DG has consistently refused to appear before the committee to explain the N13 billion expenditure nor furnish it with documents relating to the issue.