Soludo, AGF give conflicting figures on approvals for transport

Both Soludo and Dankwambo were invited to tender documents relating to contracts awarded and payments made within the past eight years.

Soludo who came with relevant documents including total releases from June 2007 to June 2008 also made available account balances and mandates for releases relating to capital and recurrent expenditures of the ministry of works.

Dankwambo also disclosed that from December 2007 till March 1, 2008, N74.026 billion was released for the ministry of works but explained that the N6 billion discrepancy from the figure Soludo submitted was as a result of lack of up to date data from his (AGF’s) office.

The testimonies of both men come on the heels of similar disparities in the figures tendered by Tony Anenih and Adeseye Ogunlewe, both work ministers under the Obasanjo administration. While the National Assembly was told that N126 billion was appropriated under Anenih’s tenure as works minister, Anenih himself said N123 billion was the actual figure.

On the N30.9 billion withdrawn by the transportation ministry between December 26 and 31, 2007 Dankwambo yesterday admitted that the withdrawal was made with his approval.

He told the Senate ad-hoc committee probing road transportation from 1999 to date that the withdrawal was already spent on projects after his office received the due certificates from the Due Process Office.

Dankwambo explained to the committee that "all capital expenditure that had Due Process approval as at the end of December can still access monies that are released to the ministries, because the money has already been released to the ministries up to March 31."

Chairman of the committee, Heineken Lokpobiri, and other committee members were however not convinced citing the provisions of the 2007 Appropriation Act. Dankwambo responded that "no money has been spent because the certificate said that they had done some work and required payment. That was why they called it Certificate for Payment."

The AGF further explained that "from the time you get certificate to the time you will meet requirement for payment, it cannot be the same.

As soon as money is moved from the Consolidated Revenue Fund to the Central Capital Account, the condition is that there must be a certification that as at now the contractor meets the request for payment and he should be paid.

The money is already spent. That is as at 2007, the money is spent." In answer to a question on what constituted unspent funds to be returned to the treasury, Danwkwambo explained that "they are recurrent votes held by the ministries and agencies which have not been exhausted as at December 31."

Chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Heineken Lokponiri, before he adjourned the public hearing said the committee had not indicted anybody saying "we have not found anyone guilty. We are still going to collate our facts before we make our recommendations to the Senate." He said not until the Senate accepts and approves its recommendations can anyone talk of any indictment and cautioned against insinuations that some people have been indicted.

Also yesterday, chairman, senate committee on works, Julius Ucha, gave Allison-Madueke till next week to appear before the committee along with the director of FERMA and threatened that failure to appear may attract sanctions. The minister and FERMA boss were invited to provide the committee with relevant data to enable it ascertain the level of work done on Nigerian roads and compliance with the implementation of budgetary allocations to the agency.