The House of Representatives has advised President Muhammadu Buhari to immediately sack the director general of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaji for alleged mismanagement and embezzlement of over N33 billion.
It has also directed the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related offences Commission (ICPC), the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the police to recover about N800 million demurrage from some officers of the ministry of agriculture, ministry of budget and national planning and NEMA.
These decisions were taken yesterday after consideration and adoption of the report of the committee on emergency and disaster preparedness on the violation of public trust in NEMA in the committee of the whole presided over by Deputy Speaker Sulaimon Yussuff Lasun.
“That based on the investigation conducted by the committee, it has bee established that the federal government lost a total sum of over N33 billion as a result of mismanagement and outright embezzlement of funds occasioned by the actions or inactions of the managing director of NEMA, Engr. Mustapha Yunusa Maihaji.
“It is consequently recommended that the director general be relieved of his duties by the president, commander-in=chief, Federal Republic of Nigeria and ba handed over to relevant authorities for prosecution”, the House submitted.
The House also charged the ICPC and EFCC to recover N150m, being subsidized cost of 5000 metric tons of rice from the present DG, Engr. Maihaji “who claimed to have donated same to World Food programme (WFP) when they were ready to pay for it or import same”
“That in view of the fact that there is evidence that the balance of 5,000 metric tons claimed to have been supplied by Olam Nig. Ltd and 3 Brothers Nig. Ltd at the cost of about N1.5 billion to NEMA was not received by the states of the north east, the money should therefore be recovered from the director general, NEMA”
On the issue of donation of 6,779 metric tons of rice by Chinese Government for IDPs in the north east, the House recommended that “NEMA and the federal ministry of agriculture, ministry of budget and national planning should account for it saying the rice was never received by the six states in the region.
The House equally asked the anti-graft agencies to further investigate the receipt and utilization of N1.6 billion for flood victims in 16 states and recover the sum of N700 million from the DG of NEMA, Engr. Maihaji.
It also recommended that “all government officials involved in the approval, processing, release and diversion of the sum of N5.8 billion for the emergency intervention of food security in the north east, which contravened the provisions of section 80 (2) and 80 (4) of the constitution, infraction of due process for procurement and loss of government revenue, flouting of the terms of the Eurobond loan are hereby indicted and the relevant security agencies should take steps to recover the money from them”
It also asked the anti-graft agencies to investigate the alleged loan of N22 billion by the CBN to four private companies.
Meanwhile, the House has ordered the recall of six staff of NEMA suspended. They include director finance and accounts, Mr. Akinbola Hakeem, director, disaster and risk reduction, Alhassan Nuhu and acting director special duties, Mr. Emmanuel Umesi. The rest are deputy director, welfare, Mohammed Kanar, deputy director, captain of air ambulance, Mamman Ibrahim and assistant chief administrative officer, Yunusa Deji Ganiyu.
