Reps Vow To Expose Corruption In Take-off Grants

The House of Representatives has vowed to expose corruption in the management of public funds and ensure those found culpable are sanctioned.

Speaker Abbas Tajudeen stated this during the inauguration of the Special Committee set up to investigate the utilisation of take-off grants, bail-out funds, and interventions allocated to Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), Institutions, and Government-Owned Enterprises from 2015 to date.

Abbas said the House mandated the special committee to examine the processes and procedures governing these special grants and allocations to MDAs, institutions, and government-owned enterprises.

According to him, the panel is also to assess and evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of these takeoff grants, ensure accountability, identify areas of wastage, mismanagement, or corruption, and recommend appropriate sanctions.

The speaker described the probe as crucial: “There are understandably several development gaps seeking government attention within the constraints of the limited funds.

“These gaps are equally critical to the well-being of Nigerians and the sustainability of our democratic process. This presupposes that every available fund within the government‘s disposal must be prudently utilised so that these perceived gaps could be addressed promptly and efficiently.

“It is therefore on this premise that persons entrusted with public funds are expected to appreciate the burden of this sacred trust and must not even be perceived to have compromised themselves in applying these funds.

“It is on record that Government after Government consider the urgent need to address some funding gaps in some Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as some institutions and government owned enterprises, with the view to accelerating economic development and social stability, made special allocations as bail-out grants, take-off grants and other forms of special interventions to enable them mitigate their immediate funding constraints.

“Nigerians applauded these interventions as timely and crucial. These were humongous public funds that had to be accounted for by the beneficiaries. Hence, this investigative hearing.

“This step has become very necessary because the concerned beneficiaries are perceived to have neither justified the utilisation of the grants nor been able to make appropriate refunds where provided in the relevant clauses for the takeoff grants, Bailout-out funds and Interventions.

“The House is therefore determined to ensure transparency, accountability, and prudent management of public resources in this instant case. It is not a witch-hunt, but rather an opportunity to ensure accountability in the utilisation of public funds.

“It is my candid understanding that it is only when we appreciate the obvious dangers posed by the poor utilisation and lack of accountability of public resources and their implications both on our country’s image and national economy, that we could tackle the matter as a national emergency of social and security implications.”