Senate asks NIMASA to produce evidence within 48 hours
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A 48-hour ultimatum expires today which the Senate gave the Nigerian Maritime and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to show evidence from Aso Rock or the Finance Ministry authorising it to pay $5 million fees to a law firm for services not rendered.
The amount was paid for intelligence-based tracking of the global movement of Nigerian hydrocarbon and recovery of loss by the government in the sum of $9.3 billion between 2013 and 2014.
The Senate Public Account Committee had invited NIMASA Director General Bashir Jamoh to explain why the money was paid. He did not show up.
At the resumption of the committee hearing on Tuesday, NIMASA’s representative Olamide Olusanya told the lawmakers the matter is in court.
The committee rejected the submission and asked NIMASA to present information at its disposal on the payment.
Olusanya explained that NIMASA was directed by the then Attorney General of the Federation to pay $5 million for the legal fees.
Committee Chairman Matthew Urhogbide asked him to present any letter from the Presidency mandating NIMASA to make the payment.
Olusanya said there was no such letter, adding that NIMASA only had a letter from the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Administration authorising the payment.
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Final decision
Urhogbide ordered NIMASA to present documents relating to the payment by today before the committee would take a final decision on the matter.
“We need the details of the payment, you go back to your archives and bring them out. Also, let us know the transaction between you and the AGF before you paid the money,” he said, per The PUNCH.
Another member of the Committee, Senator Abdullahi Danbaba, insisted there was no basis for the payment and the $5 million should be recovered from the law firm.
The committee had invited NIMASA up to three times for an explanation for the payment of $5 million as professional fees and details of the $9.3 billion loss by the government, but the agency declined the invitations.
Urhogbide last month threatened to issue a warrant of arrest on Jamoh.