You Have Questions To Answer! Reps Indicts Osinbajo In $5.8bn NEMA Fraud

The House of Representatives has maintained that the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo must answer questions over the “illegal approval and disbursement of the N5.8 billion” to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

This is contrary to a rebuttal from the VP who said he did no wrongdoing in the approval of N5.8 billion for “emergency intervention of food security to the northeast” in June 2017, when he was acting president.

Osinbajo had at the weekend through his spokesman, Laolu Akande, denied that he indulged in any untoward actions but explained that the funds were released to prevent a looming disaster as a result of severe food shortages throughout the northeast.

However, the Chairman of the House Committee on NEMA, Mr. Ali Isa J.C., (PDP, Gombe), told newsmen yesterday that being the chairman of the governing board of NEMA and approving authority at the time, Prof. Osinbajo may have questions to answer.

Isa said: “Yes, of course, he (Osinbajo) does have questions to answer. He may have questions to answer because he is the chairman of the governing council of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and he was the acting president that gave the approval.”

Isa, who stated that the briefing had become necessary given the twists that trailed the recent adoption of the Committee’s report by the House, also maintained that the investigation was transparent, and devoid of any political undertone.

“There have been many issues about our investigation and the adoption of the reports by the House of Representatives, which need to be clarified.

 “There was the issue of illegal approval of N5.8 billion for NEMA in June 2017 by the Vice President, then the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo.

“I want to say that the approval by the Vice President for the release of N5.8 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and Eurobond was in itself illegal.

“The Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, approved the money in his capacity as the Acting President and Chairman, NEMA Governing Board, without the knowledge of the National Assembly. This is a breach of due process.

“Mind you, there is no record anywhere that this money was used for anything. No contract was awarded, no procurement, nothing. That is why the Vice President has questions to answer,” Daily Trust quoted him as saying.