By Saminu Ibrahim
The National Assembly Joint Committee on Land Transportation has summoned the Managing Director of the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to appear before it over the award of railway modernisation contracts valued at about $3 billion.
Specifically, the committee said it uncovered what it described as serious irregularities in the procurement of railway projects in Lagos, Kaduna and Kano, raising concerns over the exclusion of the Federal Ministry of Transportation from the contract award process.
Speaking during a joint committee session in Abuja on Tuesday, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Land Transportation, Senator Adamu Aliero, questioned why MOFI handled contracts of such magnitude without the involvement of the ministry constitutionally responsible for railway development through the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC).
He described the development as "bizarre and disturbing," arguing that MOFI lacked the technical expertise required to oversee railway construction projects.
"We find it bizarre and disturbing that contracts of such magnitude were awarded by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated, an institution that does not have the engineers or technical professionals required to handle the technical aspects of railway construction," Aliero said.
However, the committee resolved that the hearing could not proceed without the appearance of officials from the Federal Ministry of Finance and MOFI to explain the circumstances surrounding the contract awards.
Lawmakers directed the agencies to provide details of the procurement process, funding sources, project completion timelines and the basis upon which the contracts were awarded.
The committee also requested information on the engineering designs, supervising authority, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), as well as plans for compensation and resettlement of residents who may be displaced by the projects.
Aliero further questioned how bids and contract proposals were approved without the participation of the Federal Ministry of Transportation, describing the procurement process as one that raises serious concerns over accountability and transparency.
"As members of the National Assembly, elected by the Nigerian people, we have a constitutional responsibility to ensure that every kobo of public funds is spent prudently and judiciously and that Nigerians get value for money," he said.
The committee maintained that contracts worth billions of dollars should not be awarded without the involvement of the supervising ministry, stressing that the affected agencies must appear before lawmakers to account for the decisions taken.
At the end of the session, Aliero excused officials already present at the hearing, informing them that they would be invited back after the Ministry of Finance and MOFI had appeared before the joint committee to respond to the issues raised.