The Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal
Government today sent unambiguous notice
of its intentions by setting up a "Project
Monitoring Committee," the immediate heat
of which will be felt by a key member of
Yar'Adua's kitchen cabinet, Abba Sayya
Ruma, who runs the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Presidential Project Assessment
Committee, which will be inaugurated by the
**Acting President on March 4th, is to assess
all on-going federal projects and provide
necessary information on their
implementation status. It will have three
months to complete its assignment and
submit a report.
Among others, the committee will investigate
the N30 billion dam projects cited in Katsina
state, at a cost of N1.19 billion; the Ogbese
dam project in Ekiti State, at a cost of N5.49
billion; the Zobe Dam project, also in Katsina
State, at a cost of N6.86b; the new Nigeria
Farmers Project in Kwara state at a cost of
N2.82b; and a variety of irrigation projects in
various states put at a cost of N3.71 billion.
The panel will also look into the Nigeria
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) where
over N600 billion naira subsidies on
petroleum product have been mismanaged,
as well as the Office of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDGs), where billions of
dollars have also disappeared.
The team will look at the execution of the
over N10 billion silos projects sited in Abuja
at a cost of N4.17b; Katsina, at a cost of N4
billion; and another at Uyo at a cost of
N1.73billion. The silos projects involve
Yar'Adua's wife, Turai, and a Lebanese
businessman, Joseph Zeitoun and his
Nigerian wife, Zainab Zeitoun. The probe
team would also probe the N4.73 billion
released from the 2009 budget for
agriculture, representing 25 per cent of
government grant for a tractor-hiring
scheme in conjunction with an unnamed
private firm. The implementation and
disbursement of the Federal Government’s
40 per cent credit facility, amounting to
N9.52 billion to 10 selected eligible rice-
processing companies, for the procurement,
installation and setting up of model rice-
processing mills in Adamawa, Benue, Ekiti,
Niger, Kano, Taraba, Kebbi, Enugu, Bayelsa,
Ebonyi, Ogun and Anambra States will also
come under the committee ’s search light. The
utilization of the sum of N2, 892,190,544.30
being 40 per cent Federal Government grant
to six selected private sector organizations
as investors to establish export handling,
preservation and conditioning centres in six
locations across the country will similarly be
reviewed.
The PMC will come as a considerable blow to
Abba Ruma, in view of the egregious
corruption and embezzlement in the Ministry
of Agriculture. In earlier reports,
Saharareporters had revealed that Ruma had
engaged in the Supplementary Budget scam
to forge Yar ’Adua’s authorization of the 2009
supplementary budget on account of the
extra-budgetary spendings of over N9 billion
he engaged in while he worked with
Yar'Adua's wife.
Known around Abuja for his lavish lifestyle,
with a preference for spending foreign
currency, Ruma commands a permanent
suite at the prestigious Abuja Dunes Center,
which is owned by the Zeitouns.
The Chairman of the committee is Arc.
Ibrahim Bunu as its Chairman, and. Bon Otti
as Vice Chairman. Other members are Mr.
Iboro Ege-Edaba, Mr. Yomi Awoniyi, Navy
Capt. (rtd.) Caleb Olubolade, Prof. Aminu
Mikailu, Engr. (Dr.) Idris Abubakar, Engr. Pius
Okpa, Mrs. Kate Okparake, Engr. Usman
Abubakar and Engr. Gbola Tokun.
http://www.saharareporters.com/real-news/sr-headlines/5350-jonathan-sets-up-probe-panel-to-look-into-abba-rumas-extraordinary-spending.html