Women Affairs Ministry Under Scrutiny as Reps Investigate Financial Scandal Allegations

Representatives to look into a possible financial fraud at the Ministry of Women Affairs

The Federal Ministry of Women's Affairs has been accused of widespread financial embezzlement; the House of Representatives has announced that it will look into these claims.

In an investigative hearing held at the request of the House Committee on Procurement, presided over by Hon. Unyirne Idem, Hon. Kafilat Ogbara, the Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs, revealed this during a petition-initiated hearing concerning the payment of N510 million into the accounts of contractors who did not participate in the bidding process.

Hon. Unyimen Idem addressed the Minister during the investigative hearing on Tuesday of last week, bringing up the petitions filed by some contractors regarding the N510 million that was paid into the bank accounts of contractors who did not take part in the bidding process.

He said: “The matter that brought all of us here this afternoon is about a petition that was brought to us last month. The petition is about some projects in your ministry to the tune of N510 million that were bidded and subsequently award letter was given to the bidders, that is the contractors.

“But surprisingly, while some of the contractors according to their claims said they have executed the projects and some said they were still waiting to get mobilisation from your Ministry to enable them execute the projects, they were shocked to know that some of those projects were already paid for by the Ministry of Finance.

“From their discoveries, when they visited the Ministry of Finance and they found out that while either the money they spent to execute the contracts were not paid or the request they made in your Ministry asking for mobilisation was not paid and the Ministry told them that all those projects we're paid for.

“And unfortunately they paid into the wrong account. What I mean by wrong account is that the people they paid the money to or the contractor they paid the money to, did not take part in the bidding process they were not given award letters but were surprised too that the money were paid to the account that did not take part in the entire procurement process.

“So, the contractors numbered about 10 came to the National Assembly to protest of irregularity that is going on regarding the process. In fact, they described the process as procurement fraud, that it's incumbent upon the Committee in charge of Procurement to come to their rescue by asking the Ministry to reverse the N510 million from the wrong accounts that the money were paid to, to their own accounts.

"Because they claimed that some of them have already done the job while some said that 'wait they are waiting for mobilization'. So, that's why we are here," the lawmaker noted.

Idem went on to say that the Committee has written to the Accountant General's office requesting information on the purported fraud or malpractice that is undermining this specific contract. After receiving our letter, that office provided us with the specifics of the payment they had made for the aforementioned tasks.

“So, I don't know whether you have been able to confirm what we sent to you or whether you have gotten independent information regarding these transactions?”

Additionally, Hon. Udem confirmed that some of the irate contractors were present for the investigating session.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Women Affairs, Hon. Ogbara, intervened and voiced her discontent with the Minister's excessive attitude toward the Committee. She claimed that despite efforts to work together, the Minister has not been cooperative.

She said: “Apart from the excuse she has given that she wants to try and get her people to come with her, the Perm Sec and relevant personnel that need to appear before this Committee, I will just want to appeal to the chairman to give her time, not too long because we also inviting her from the Committee on Women Affairs very soon.

“The notice is already out, I don't know whether they've sent it to her office. So, we also invited her, because I don't understand, I have been trying to work cordially with her as a woman. As women supporting women, we should work together, but when you're trying to work with somebody and the person is not even trying to learn or trying to work in the way you expect.

“Now, there are so many petitions, diversion of money, misappropriation of funds, people's jobs in the Ministry. You just misappropriate paned the money, anyway, anyhow from all the complaints that we have got, so we are going to invite her from the Committee as well, and I want the Chairman to choose the nearest day possible.

“All the personnel she's talking about, they are right there, they are indoors in the Ministry, if you want them to come tomorrow morning, they should be here. Even when the Committee went to the Ministry on oversight, they didn't have records to show and they were just mixing up different things, with different terminology, misappropriated a lot of funds for different projects, they used the same name just turn it to another name, you know, duplication of contracts and all that. I can go on and on,” Ogbara lamented.

Minister of Women Affairs Mrs. Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye responded to the question by saying: “The information provided by the Accountant General's office was incorrect; they gave you completely incorrect information after we were here the last time.

“Some people that they said we are owing 50 million, they came out with almost eighth something million or 90 million that were a lot of discrepancies in what they sent, which we noticed that we took it to go and check.

“But I want you people to know one thing, I can't succeed without you people, I have no reason for your money to be in the office and will allow it to be misappropriated. I can't even allow any misappropriation.

“But unfortunately is the Ministry of Women Affairs has been like blacklisted, even UN blacklisted us before I came. UNICEF today can't pay any money they raised for women and children, $1 billion without the Ministry getting anything.

“That's why I refused to sign any paper for them this year, they said they blacklisted them because of the way and manner they were behaving before and they said too, based on that they kept on reducing their budget to the very minimum.

“This is the first time we are getting 3.6 billion, usually it's 1.9, 2 billion. And when I came in, I brought in a lot of experience, I took my time to look in and understand what this whole thing is about, and they told me something like a ceiling and they said the Ministry's ceiling was like for example, 2 billion, anything extra like this year our ceiling is 3.6 but they gave us 4.7. The other remaining money does not belong to the Ministry, it's only 3.6 that the Ministry can spend.

“So, that last year's own, they gave 2 billion, about 2.4 billion and the money for the Constituency project was the one extra.

“But that same last year, they didn't release any money extra apart from that money within the the budget. And that budget usually if not that they used to help them from partners they don't have money to run that Ministry.

“Most of the things some of your colleagues are seeing in the office, I bought them and I don't hide it anymore, they'll tell you don't say you spent your money. If I don't spend my money, how do I work? I was given deliverables where do I get it from if I don't spend my money?

“Sometimes I come to the office, no diesel, there's no fuel, no generator. I will have to work in the security house downstairs, where I will be fanning myself to do my work because I can't go up that fifth floor to work.

“I have to fuel my car for almost three months because there was no money. What do I do department and they fuel my car, when money comes they will pay me. Till date, I have not gotten. Some of the cases I'm doing, the office does not have money. They give us N47 million last year it was twenty-something million every month expenses. This year they made it 47 million every month, as I speak to you they are owing 112 million for diesel and everything they are buying. What they do, they pay slightly.

“Last year we are talking about, the only contract that was given out, as we speak, 70 per cent of that contract has not been paid. So out of the money we felt we could use for me to start doing something which they promised me in the office, they could allow me to use 400 million at least to show what I could do.

“It was only 30 per cent of that money, about three hundred and eighty something million that was paid, only 30 per cent that was paid, that is hundred and something million. The rest of the 70 per cent are not paid. And the money is not there as we speak. Because of the way and manner, they have more responsibilities that the money coming to them, so it's a pity it happened like this, I wouldn't have wanted it this way, but it's something we could come together.

“What happened to that extra money, why was it not paid? You people I need your help to survive if not how long can your sister continue putting in money to work for the government, who pays me back and if I don't.

“But today as we speak, certain things they asked me to file, I was able to get 283,000 but I was told to get five. But I was shocked I was now sent that what they asked me to get before was that the same 283,000 which I've told them I will bring petition here,” the Minister explained.

She therefore asked the committee to step in and directed the matter to the Federal Ministry of Finance, the proper authority, in order to facilitate the direct deposit of the contract amounts into the contractor's accounts.

The session's judge, Hon. Idem, ordered the Minister to appear before the Committee on May 30, 2024, along with the Permanent Secretary and other Direct.