ABUJA—MEMBERS of the adhoc committee of the House of Representatives on
failed rail contracts have summoned the Minister of Transport, Mr Rotimi
Amaechi; Managing Director of Nigeria Railway Corporation, NRC, Seyi
Sijuwade; former Chairman ofPeoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr Mohammed
Bello Haliru; and former Minister of Transport, Idris Umar, to explain
their roles in the alleged N1 trillion rail contracts scam
The
adhoc committee is headed by Ehoizuwa Johnson Agbonayinma, PDP,
Ikpoba/Oha Federal Constituency. They are expected to appear before the
committee tomorrow during the investigativehearing.Chairman of the adhoc
committee, Agbonayinma, confirmed that all the stakeholders had been
duly informed and were expected to show up unfailingly tomorrow.Asked
why the Minister of Transport was invited, despite the fact that he is
barely three monthsold in office, Agbonayinma said: “The Minister of
Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, was also invited to tell usall he knows,
though he just assumed office but you know government is a
continuum.“This 8th House is 100 per cent in support of President
Muhammadu Buhari’s crusade against any formof corruption.“We are not out
to witch-hunt anybody but anyone found wantingin the course of this
investigative hearing will be adequately exposedalthough as you are
aware, not until it is proven by a competent court that such persons are
guilty you can’t say they are guilty.”It would be recalled that during
thelast investigative hearing on December 10, former chairman of the NRC
board, Alhaji Bamanga Tukur, had denied that during his tenure, no
contract was awarded by the board he chaired.Tukur, a former chairman of
PDP, had told the adhoc committee that the Procurement Act excluded the
NRC Board from participating in theaward of railway contracts.“The
Board which I chaired, was never involved in any contract award and was
never told or invited to participate in issues of contract award of
financial disbursement,” he said.He said throughout his stay as theBoard
Chairman of the NRC, no issue of contract award of any amount or tune
was discussed or awarded by the Board.Another Chairman of the board,
Alhaji Kawu Baraje, also a former chairman of Peoples Democratic Party,
PDP, told the adhoc committee that he was not privileged to appoint any
consultant or award contracts for the railway projects.According to
Baraje, all the paraphernalia and indices that would assist him carry
out his work were all gone.“We only played the role of inspection
because the procurement act excluded the board from participating in any
contract,’’ he added.He expressed worry that the country’s railway
transportation system had suffered neglect, in spite of playing critical
role in the development of the economy.Baraje said more attention
should be given to the 25-year railway modernisation plan to boost
transportation in the country.Also speaking at the hearing Senator Ladan
Shuni, another former Board Chairman of the NRC, wondered the essence
of inaugurating a board that lacked the capacity to oversee the award of
contracts.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/02/alleged-n1trn-rail-contracts-scam-reps-invite-amaechi-nrc-md-others/
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