The House of Representatives is seeking detailed information on how the N1.17bn approved by former President Goodluck Jonathan for the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority was reversed by a ministerial directive last May.
It was learnt that the House may summon the immediate past Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, for allegedly reversing Jonathan’s approval in controversial circumstances, thereby denying the agency of the funds.
The PUNCH learnt on Sunday that an ad hoc committee of the House chaired by a Peoples Democratic Party lawmaker from Delta State, Evelyn Oboro, was interested in knowing how a ministerial directive could override a presidential approval and what the money was used for after it was stopped.
A preliminary finding of the committee indicated on Sunday that the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation paid the money into the accounts of the SRRBDA on March 9, 2015 for the purpose of funding the projects of the river basin after Jonathan’s approval. However, the committee noted that the same money was stopped and withdrawn in two tranches within a week in May 2015 by a ministerial directive.
The committee did not specify whether it would invite Okonjo-Iweala for clarification, but only said it would continue to investigate the transaction.
PUNCH
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