The Permanent Secretary in the federal ministry of Transport, Alhaji Mohammed Bashar has revealed how $1.005 billion (over N200 billion) foreign loans obtained for rail projects in Nigeria was diverted to other purposes during the regime of the immediate past President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.
According to him, the loan was obtained from the Chinese Exim Bank for the construction of a standard gauge rail line linking Lagos and Kano but that the fund was moved elsewhere.
The Permanent Secretary made these revelations today when he briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the performance of the ministry during the last regime. The briefing took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Alhaji Mohammed Bashar said that out of the total amount of the loan, only $400 million is currently in the purse of the Ministry of Finance.
An angry President Buhari quickly called on the ministry of finance to explain the circumstances surrounding the loan and why substantial part of it was diverted for different purposes.
President Buhari said that it is disappointing to find that foreign loans obtained in line with signed agreements were moved from one project to another.
“I hope that due process was followed before such diversions were carried out. Taking money from one project to another has to be done properly,” the President warned.
The President regretted that government had, over the years, failed to meet its counter-part funding obligation on some projects, leading to such projects being left uncompleted or abandoned.
He added that there was a clear need to streamline, harmonize, and prioritize on-going projects in the transportation sector.
The Permanent Secretary also briefed the President on other challenges facing the transport and maritime sectors such as encroachment on railway land, lack of security on inland waterways and the confused nature of agreements between the Nigeria Ports Authority and ports concessionaires.
Also after receiving a briefing on the activities of the National Population Commission from the Chairman, Eze Duru Iheoma (SAN), who led other National Commissioners to the Presidential Villa, President Buhari asked government agencies to harmonize the collection and usage of biometric data in the country, instead of replicating their efforts in this regard.
The President wondered why each agency would gather its own biometric data, when such data could easily be shared.
“It will be more cost effective if you work together. It helps even the credibility of the election process, as Nigerians of voting age can be identified easily.”
Government organizations that currently collect biometric data include the National Population Commission, National Identity Management Commission, Federal Road Safety Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission, among others.
President Buhari said that all the agencies should work collaboratively, instead of going in different directions, stressing that adequate data was necessary for planning and development in any country.
Eze Duru Iheoma had briefed the President on what will be required for the commission to conduct a national census next year, 10 years after the last exercise, as stipulated by the United Nations.
A national population census, the chairman said, would cost about N273 billion, while about N10 billion of the amount would be needed immediately.
He told the President that a biometric-based census was being proposed because it will eliminate multiple respondents, and ghost respondents, while making the outcome easy to audit. [myad]
