The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee has raised concerns over the Ministry of Water Resources‘ allocation of N4 billion for the recruitment of 100 sanitation personnel within three months. This allocation was reportedly designated for the Youth Engagement for Sanitation (YES) project, covering all 774 local government areas in the country.
Representative Bamidele Salam, the committee chairman, brought forward the query during an investigation into the alleged mismanagement of COVID-19 intervention funds from 2020 to 2022 across various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). Additionally, the committee questioned the ministry’s reported expenditure of between N25 million and N12.5 million per unit for sinking boreholes, deeming this expenditure unacceptable. The Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Didi Walson-Jack, explained that these boreholes were installed in different locations across states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Walson-Jack highlighted that a total of 299 new water schemes were implemented during the period, with the revival of 188 old and abandoned solar boreholes.
The committee members sought further clarification on the projects, emphasizing the need to verify their existence and prevent confusion with initiatives undertaken by other entities. They requested details about the recruitment process, including the complete list of recruited youths, their account information, and the payment schedule sent to their respective banks. Chairman Salam announced plans for project verification, extending beyond the ministry to include other MDAs that claimed project implementations. He stressed the committee’s commitment to ensuring value for money, disclosing that on-site inspections would take place in states such as Osun, Ogun, Akwa Ibom, Edo, Imo, Ebonyi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Benue, Katsina, Sokoto, Bauchi, and Adamawa.
This move signifies the committee’s dedication to transparent governance and accountability in the utilization of public funds. Stay tuned for further updates as the committee conducts its thorough project verification process.
