Senate Constitutes Committee To Probe N2.5bn Water Hyacinth Project allegedly Increased To N65bn

The Senate committee on Public Accounts has commenced the probing of the alleged hijacking of N2.5bn Water Hyacinth project to N65bn awarded by the Niger Delta Development Commission NDDC.

The chairman of Committee on Public Accounts, Sen. Matthew Urhoghide, revealed this on Thursday when the Director, Special Duties of the NDDC, Nosakhare Agbongiasede, appeared before the panel in Abuja.

Urhoghide noted that the probe was imperative to determine the necessary findings as regards the alleged increment of the water project awarded from 2017 to 2019. Adding that, there was need to ascertain if the commission followed due process in awarding and increasing the water project contract.

He said “Of course, that is a very serious offence. What we are hearing or what we know is that N2.5billion was budgeted for this activity, that is, desilting and clearing of water hyacinths.

“We are hearing that the Commission has spent N65 billion, so, we want to know if it is true.

“We had invited the acting Managing Director and Management of the NDDC to come and testify before this committee of the Senate on Public Accounts on an issue that has become of national importance.

“We want to be able to ascertain if due processes were followed in the award of these contracts, particularly with the information we have at our disposal that they exceeded budget limits.”

The senator added that though it was yet to confirm the allegation, he noted that the committee had requested the acting MD of the commission to appear before the committee.

He said ”It is an allegation. It is still an assumption until they come to clear the air surrounding this.

“This is why the senate is particularly interested and has mandated this committee to carry out full investigation.

“So, we want the Acting MD to come. We are aware that the acting MD assumed duties a few weeks ago but government is a continuum.”

“It is not a case of whether she is the one that was in office or not, and again we are very clear that this committee is not out to witch hunt anybody,” he added.