From BillyGraham Abel-Yola
Chairman, House Committee on Information, Abdulrazak Namdas, has said that the National Assembly would bring back Nigeria’s $17 billion missing crude oil money.
He made the remark during the commissioning of constituency projects in his Jada, Ganye, Toungo and Mayo Belwa federal constituency of Adamawa state.
Namdas who is leading an ad-hoc Committee constituted by the House of Representatives to investigate matters relating to missing monies from the coffers of NNPC said “Nigeria is ranked sixth in the list of oil producing nations and crude oil sales are still unaccounted for. We have invited the NNPC, DPR, the Central Bank and other major players in the oil industries to account for inconsistencies in matters relating to declared crude funds, so far, we have not been getting the required answers but I assure you we will get to the root of it.
“$17 billion is up to Nigeria’s budget when converted into naira, right now we just export oil but it is not clear how much crude is being lifted in this country because people are diverting crude oil sales,” he added.
He further revealed that his committee would not relent until all those involved are made to give the account of their stewardship to Nigerians, adding that “I am confident we will bring back Nigeria’s money and use it to develop our country instead of borrowing. This Government is a government that fights corruption and as legislative partners we will play our part.”
Speaking on the rating of APC as a party vis-a-vis the anti-corruption stance of the Buhari’s led administration Namdas said, “the fact that people are hiding money at home shows that the Buhari’s anti-corruption stance is already turning the heat on looters.
“Nigerians should keep faith with APC because things are changing for good, the economic issue is a global issue, but we have a President that is committed to changing things; it is easier to destroy than to build, we will soon get there.”
Justifying the need for constituency projects, Namdas who commissioned a block of two classrooms and a headmaster’s office in Ganye, also commissioned four solar powered boreholes in Ganye, Toungo and Jada and two other handheld boreholes in Toungo and Jada , further declared that “people speaking against constituency projects are the enemies of the people, people who are sad that projects are executed that have direct positive benefits on the lives of our people.”
He further challenged Nigerians to pay closer attention to budgets especially as it relates to their constituencies, explaining that constituency projects are not directly executed by legislators.
“When budgets are done, certain amounts are allocated for constituency projects for each constituency, in my case about N120 million.
“The legislator’s task is to decide what kind of project and where it will be cited and to ensure it is domiciled in the relevant MDAs. The legislature then plays an oversight function of ensuring that these projects are implemented.
“Budgets are public documents that every Nigerian should look at and see that projects allocated to their constituencies are fully implemented. I have made it a policy to announce the amount allocated for my constituency so that the people can see and judge for themselves what has been done. This is computer age; people can know everything and they have the right to know.
“The essence of democratic governance is the openness associated with it, so Nigerians should ask questions about everything that affects them and politicians should be open to questions without feeling attacked.”
The lawmaker also called on the people in his constituency to take responsibility by taking good care of the facilities and to make sure they remain in good shape.
Speaking on security issue, Namdas called the attention of the presidency and the military to the situation in Gumpti national park in his constituency which he said is “several times the size of Sambisa forest and stretches into the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. “
Namdas decried the fact that there was no military formation in the area, and such could pose a threat to the security of the nation and that of his people who are constantly exposed to danger.
He therefore called on the federal government to as a matter of national emergency; deploy military to the area in order to secure the area from being taken advantage of by criminals.
Some of the members of his constituency laud the legislator’s effort and described him as a true representative of his people.
Chairman, APC Ganye local government, Jibrilla Gangjari said, “ as the chairman of this party here, I will not be ashamed when campaigns starts in 2019, because I have things to show because Namdas has done so much, I have gone round during campaigns telling people he is someone we can trust, now I am vindicated.”
Chairman Ganye Local government, Mr. Emmanuel Odoji , on his part, said “we have so much to be thankful for because God has given us the best representation in Adamawa state.”
A resident of Ganye local government, Mr Augustine Bonokamenni, also said “today is one of the greatest days in my life because we have elected someone that has been making us proud, the number of people gathered here says much about who he is and how people feel about him.”