Reps query MDGs office over N25b consultancy fees

The House of Representatives has queried  the  N25billiom allocated to consultancy in the  N54billion budget for constituency projects in 2008 and 2009 by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) office.

The lawmakers advised the MDGs office  to re-evaluate its consultants’ register as a result of sleaze and extortion.

Speaking at an interactive session, the Senior Special Adviser (SSA) to the President on MDGs, Dr. Precious Gbenol; Chairman House Committee on Constituency Outreach Aisha Dahiru Ahmed said the meeting became imperative as a result of the poor level of constituency projects across the country.

“This has to a large extent put us in  bad light against our constituents because rather than benefit from the projects, reports show that our electorate has not enjoyed the services these projects are supposed to offer.”

She said petitions from some lawmakers showed that most projects were either uncompleted or non functional. Ms. Gbenol advised that lawmakers, in whose constituencies the projects were located,  should be involved.

The SSA said they were not to select contractors but to offer solution to location, communal and environmental challenges. A lawmaker, Razak Belo-Osagie, regretted that the progress report presented by the MDGs office showed that N25billion was expended on consultancy and rental fee of warehouses across the country.

Another lawmaker, Tijjani Abudulkadir, said the problem of consultants who extort money from contractors before the issuance of certificates has become endemic.

Deputy Chairman of the committee Pally Iriase urged the MDG Office to liaise with the committee to proffer solution to the  paucity of fund traced to the Federal Ministry of Finance that has been affecting the work of the organisation.

Ms. Gbenol apologised for the misleading figures in the report, pointing out that the N25billion was not meant for consultant fees and warehouse rental alone but included the actual cost of the project.