By Godwin Okoro
Members of the House of Representatives have accused the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) of lop-sidedness in reaching out to states who were affected by the recent flooding in the country.

This was during the resumed hearing of the House Committee on Ecological Funds to investigate the total consolidated accruals and utilization of the fund.

The Director-General of NEMA, Ahmed Mustapha, who appeared before the Committee said following the recent flood disaster, the Agency had reached out to and responded to over 1,427,370 displaced persons in all the states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Mustapha also said that the provision of food and non-food items for immediate relief and building materials to facilitate long-term rehabilitation of the impacted population is still ongoing.

But a member from Edo State, Oghuma Johnson (APC), accused the agency of giving preferential treatment to a particular region of the country in their relief materials distribution selection process.

Johnson, who was visibly agitated as he banged on the table, told the DG that he was partial and the impact of the distribution claim had not been felt in his constituency and Edo State as a whole.

He said, “In the whole of my area, we do not have any assembly members and you said you informed assembly members from my state and I am here. It is my federal constituency that is swallowed up by the flood.

“I moved a motion concerning my federal constituency and that is the only way they communicate to you. I do not have any personal relationship with you. I don’t have to ask you for anything because I do not need anything from you.

“For my people, they are part of Nigeria and I want to put it to you that you people were not appointed to be partial. You swore an oath before you took office. The way you treat some of us from this area, is that the same way you are treating other people?

“I am bitter because of the way you have abandoned these people. My state is never recognized. You have never done anything in Edo State and you call yourself NEMA. Is NEMA not Nigeria? Is it a regional organisation?”

Also, a member from Ogun State, Adewunmi Onanuga said that she had written twice to the agency concerning issues in her state and constituency but never got a response.

“I am a member of the committee directly overseeing NEMA. I do not have a relationship with that agency. I think I have written twice to the agency concerning issues in my state and federal constituency not once has anyone called me.

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“I do not know whether you deal only with state actors, but not with anybody from the Federal level and it is highly unfair. When we came for oversight in Lagos, I think my state is under that jurisdiction, not once did we get any information with regards to what NEMA is doing in the whole of that South West.

“I don’t have any issues with the DG, but I have issues with the Agency as a whole and I know I speak for a lot of members, who are representative of Nigerians. These are issues that I think need to be dealt with,” she said.

The Committee Chairman, Ibrahim Isiaka, also from Ogun said the agency needed to get lawmakers involved in what they were doing.

Isiaka said, “Everything starts and ends at your table. Nobody is asking for any special favour. But what you are doing if they (lawmakers) are carried along, the pressure on them will lessen.”

Giving details of consolidated accruals and ecological fund utilisation from 2011 – 2022, the DG explained that the sum of N112, 137, 641, 074.17 was expended in disaster management activities across the country.

He, however, noted that, unlike other appropriated funds, balances from ecological funds are rolled over to the next fiscal year.

For 2010 expenditure, the NEMA DG said that the documents could not be sighted as they were vandalized during the EndSARS protests, and police extract to that effect has been obtained.

While lamenting that the 2022 flood disaster is the worst in recorded history, the DG added that it was by far more devastating than the 2012 flood which was hitherto considered unprecedented in the history of Nigeria.

He said, “As predicted, the 2022 flood hit the country with devastating consequences, impacted thousands of communities, and wreaked havoc in all the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

“A total of 612 persons lost their lives, 3,219,780 persons were affected, 1,427,370 persons were displaced and 2,776 others suffered various degrees of injuries. A total of 181,600 houses were partially damaged and 123,807 houses were totally damaged. A total of 176,852 hectares of farmland were partially destroyed while 392,300 hectares of farmland got totally destroyed as a result of the floods.

“In line with committee’s request number three of the aforementioned letters, fine copies of audited accounts and financial statements for the year 2010 to 2020 audited by Messrs Razak Kadiri and Co, Chartered Accountants and Tijani Isa and Co, Chartered Accountants. The 2021 audited accounts report is still being finalized by Tijani Musa Isa and Co and would be made available as soon as it is concluded.”

*Berate MDAs, ALGON for evading probe on ecological fund utilisation

Earlier, the Committee Chairman, Isiaka, frowned on the absence of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of the Federal Government and Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) at the probe to defend the amount they received and how it was spent.

He specifically bemoaned the absence of the Ministries of Health and Niger Delta Affairs despite being major beneficiaries.

The lawmaker threatened that the House might rescind its decision on any support given to the 774 local governments and MDAs if they continue this way.

Isiaka said, “Apart from the yearly appropriation which you are entitled to, the National Assembly still stepped up the ante by creating you; or those that had been created before, you have an amendment to the law that created you, and we now create a space in there that says ‘take money from the Ecological Fund to support you.

“Why we became a bit worried is because the same father that created some of these agencies – that is the National Assembly, through legislation and law – has now said ‘let us talk and review what we are doing,’ going forward, for us to know where you have challenges.

“Unfortunately, many of the agencies became evasive. The situation we are in right now, we are not expecting and hoping that such will repeat itself in 2023. You can see the people that we are fasting because of.

“They are eating lunch. That is ALGON. Last week they refused to come and today they refused to show up as well. There are 774 local governments in the country and by the present provision, the entire local governments, 774 of them, are taking 0.62 per cent from the Consolidated Revenue Account as their ecological fund.

“But now, for two times running, we have invited them to come and share with us. It is so unfortunate that this is the third time we would ask them to come and they did not. Why is ALGON not here? We are not shedding any light on them.

“This is the National Assembly and they have their legislative houses. They have the councillors that can ask them how they spent their monies. Even the states have the Houses of Assembly to ask them how they are spending their monies. It is not us but we have a common cord binding all of us together. That is the cord we now want to continue to strengthen for the good citizens of Nigeria. The choice is ours.”