Winifred Oyo-Ita, Head of Civil Service to the Federation and Ibrahim Magu, acting Chairman of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday affirmed the suspension of six directors of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).
At the continued hearing on the probe of NEMA over infractions of the Isa Ali led Committee, the EFCC acting chairman, Ibrahim Magu, disclosed that the Commission recommended their suspension in order to avoid interference.
Earlier, Chairman House Committee on Disaster and Emergency Management who confirmed receipt of the letter from Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo the NEMA Director as the Secretary of the Governing Council or members of the Council present at the hearing would answer questions meant for him.
In his brief presentation, the EFCC acting Chairman who confirmed receipt of a petition dated 6th December, 2017 explained that the Commission embarked on “investigation proper and at some level we have to write an interim position and recommended that the people involved had wrong doing and should be placed on suspension so as not to jeopardize the investigation.”
Also speaking, Head of Service of the Federation, Winifred Oyo-Ita, who read relevant sections of the Civil Service Rules, affirmed that the Governing Council of a parastatal has the powers to regulate the affairs of the staff.
Oyo-Ita who was represented by Mustapha Suleiman, Permanent Secretary, revealed that section 7(10) of the NEMA Act and Section 5 of the Civil Service Rules confer power of disciplinary control on the Governing Council.
She added that section 160103 clearly provides that any government owned parastatal should locate its decision in the provisions of the Civil Service Rules, including “powers to delay with senior staff of the agency.”
While responding to questions on whether the affected staff were given fair hearing, Mustapha Maihaja noted that the directors still remain bonafide staff of the agency.
Maihaja earlier disclosed that the sums of N222.309 million, N165.911 million and N28.4 million were paid as demurrage to the clearing agents including APM Terminals Limited, Global View Logistics Limited and Masks Nigeria Limited for the service rendered.
The Director-General reads: “By the provision of the Act, the relevant section of the NEMA Act that allows the Governing Council to superintend the affairs of the Agency is Section 7(10).
“The Council shall have the power to (a) manage and superintend the affairs of the Agency .
(b) subject to the provisions of this Act….and function of the agency.
(c) for the term and condition of service including renumeration of the employees of the Agency after consultation with the Federal Civil Service Commission, and do such other things which in the opinion of the Agency are necessary to ensure the efficient performance of the functions of the Agency.
In his submission, Simon Ahansi, who represented Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning disclosed that the responsibility of clearing of the rice donated by the Chinese government was transferred to NEMA after securing duty waiver from Federal Ministry of Finance.
According to him, the letter of rice offer from the Chinese government was received on the 27th March 2017 as recipient of all aids and grants coming into the country.
He however noted that “securing the duty waiver was not an easy task,” adding that he spent his personal money on transportation of his subordinates in the process of securing the duty waiver.
According to him, the last duty waiver was eventually secured on the 29th December, 2017, stressing that the “Ministry does ministry does not have budget line to clear” such grant, hence resolved to hand it over to NEMA.
However in its presentation, representative of Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, noted that no rice was deposited at the strategic stores provided in Maiduguri, Yobe, Kwali, and others.
According to him, the letter on the 6,779 metric tons donated to the IDPs by Chinese government was dated 5th April, 2017.
Meanwhile, the lawmakers mandated the companies involved in the clearing of the rice to appear before it in there next Investigative hearing to be announced.
They also requested for breakdown of the N400 million spent on demurrage, adding that the amount was not appropriated by the Parliament.
KEHINDE AKINTOLA, Abuja
