We followed due process in award of N3.1bn rice contract ―NEMA boss

THE Director-General of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mustapha Maihaja on Wednesday said that due process was followed in the procurement N3.1 billion rice contract for emergency purpose in North Eastern part of the country.

This came just as the House Committee on Emergency and Disaster Preparedness said that it would go the whole hog to unveil the companies that benefitted from NEMA contracts.

This came to fore at a public hearing organised by the House committee on violation of public trust by NEMA.

The committee while grilling the NEMA boss said that there were due process infractions in the award of N3.1 billion for procurement of 10,000 metric tons of rice for emergency purposes in the Northeast between 2017 and 2018.

On the award of N3.1 billion contract, the NEMA boss said that the agency was forced to approach the Presidency for the procurement of the materials because development partners withdrew 85 percent of their funding support.

In the award of the contract, he said that “We insist that due process is followed on procurement since my assumption of duties in April 2017 because different methods were used before then with serious resistance from within and outside.

“Today NEMA is one of the most investigated agencies but due process was followed in our procurements.

“The contract was awarded to two companies as well as logistics companies for delivery.

“The contractors don’t get paid until deliveries are confirmed by the recipient agencies,” he claimed.

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On the sources of the agency’s fund, the NEMA boss said that it includes Ecological Fund which was N10.3 billion in the period under review as well as from Appropriation Act.

He also made available to the committee list of the agency’s accounts, list of companies with awarded contracts and the award letters, including a list of donors and donations.

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While declaring the hearing open, Speaker Yakubu Dogara said there were a number of disasters unattended to in the country over the period which was a shame.

The Speaker who was represented by the Deputy Minority Leader, Honourable Chukwuma Onyeama, said the intervention of the House was as a result of allegations of negligence from victims who complained of late arrival and often inadequate arrival of relief materials.

Deputy Chairman of Committee, Ali Isa said the investigation was not meant to witch-hunt anyone but aimed at making the agency beer in meeting it’s set objectives.