. Writes CAC, FIRS to provide companies’ detail
The House of Representatives’ Public Account Committee, yesterday, resolved to unmask the real identities of the contractors, which executed the N18.9billion contracts from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.
The contracts were for the clearing of bushes, land preparation and rehabilitation of soil and plant laboratories, video utilisation of funds from service wide vote between 2013 and 2021 and others during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown.
The resolution followed the appearance of representatives of two of the 20 affected companies at the resumed investigative hearing of the Committee on queries to Federal Government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) by the office of the Auditor General of the Federation.
The companies include Easy Construction Company Ltd., and Nukaag Ventures Ltd., while the remaining 18 companies failed to show up.
Chairman of the Committee, Woke Oke (PDP, Osun) said the two representatives of the companies – Johnson Philip and Taiwo Idowu, respectively, are of the managerial cadre and as such not competent to appear before the Committee going by the Rules of the House.
We are not concerned about who won the contracts, what we are after is to determine the value for money paid out and the sites of the projects, and we will carry that mission to the letter.
Responding to a question posed by Oke on whether they were familiar with the submission submitted to the Committee on the award and execution of the contractors so as not to mislead it, they both said no.
Consequently, the chairman ordered the duo to leave immediately and directed that the managing directors or chairmen of the companies to personally appear before it and speak to the submission before the Committee.
Oke also directed the Clerk of the Committee to write to the Registrar, Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), to furnish the Committee the detailed information of the affected 20 companies, including their years of incorporation, corporate offices, names of the owners, shareholders amongst others.
He said: “We are not concerned about who won the contracts, what we are after is to determine the value for money paid out and the sites of the projects, and we will carry that mission to the letter.
“The Clerk should also write to the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) to furnish the Committee about the financial status of the companies.”
Oke assured that the Committee will carry out a diligent investigation into the matter to find out the location of the projects and the significance of such projects in the country.