More revelations have emerged over the ongoing probe into the activities of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
According to Mustapha Yunusa Maihaja, NEMA DG, the agency paid a whopping sum of N400 million in demurrage to clear rice donated by the Chinese government for distribution to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the North East which is valued at N414 million, the Director General of the agency.
Documents submitted to the committee by the ministry of finance and dated July 20, 2017, indicate that the total quantity of the rice is 6,779 metric tonnes valued at N414.8 million while the federal ministry of agriculture paid another sum of N272.5 million as duty.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness has expressed dismay over the inefficient handling of the Chinese rice donations to internally displaced persons in the North East, saying the officials in charge did not discharge their functions well, leading to unnecessary spending of taxpayers’ money.
The lawmakers were reacting to the presentations made by government agencies during its investigative hearing on breach of public trust by the National Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday.
While making a presentation before the committee, representative of the Comptroller General of Nigeria Customs Service, Assistant Comptroller General Ekekezie Kaycee (T and T), said three batches of the Chinese rice donation arrived at the Nigerian port on the 9th of May, the second, 15th August, and the last, 11th September, 2017 respectively.
She added that the value of the rice, which came in 151 containers in total, as stated on the bill of lading are as follows: 7, 405, 222 Yuan, 9, 219, 650 million Yuan and 11, 247, 973 Yuan, at an exchange rate of 46.2450 Naira to one Yuan.
She informed the committee that 3, 779 metric tonnes of the rice have been cleared, leaving a balance of 3000 metric tonnes. She identified the two companies that did the clearing as Global view nig ltd and Baltic Air and Maritime Services.
In his submission, the director general of NEMA, Engr Mustapha Maihaja, said the agency could only start clearing when it received the bill of lading six months later.
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