The Niger Delta and Environment Ministries have been asked to convene an emergency meeting to reconcile discrepancies uncovered in projects proposed for execution under the 2010 budget appropriation.
The Niger Delta Budget Monitoring Group (NDEBUMOG), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) committed to the promotion of transparency and accountability in government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs), yesterday accused the two ministries of not taking steps to correct observed lapses in their 2010 budget proposals despite previous complaints.
The Ministry of Environment had published advertorials last Monday inviting tenders from contractors and consultants for the execution of various erosion and flood projects located in various parts of the country as part of its 2010 capital projects.
George-Hill Anthony, executive director, NDEBUMOG, claimed in a petition to the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) and the Budget Office of the Federation (BOF) yesterday that "many of the advertised projects are duplicated and already listed for the Niger Delta Ministry."
Some of the projects advertised for tenders include the erosion/flood control Project along Nassarawa Ekabo Road, in Calabar, Cross River state listed A37 under Lot A; erosion control works along Marine Beach, Calabar (B4) Lot B; sand filling/shoreline protection at Tombia (Iwoama) Rivers state (B10), and Adiabo erosion control, Cross River state (B39).
Double projects
The Tombia sand filling/shore line protection project listed under the Federal Ministry of Environment is duplicated in the Federal Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs 2010 Budget under the Chat of Account -0710000010290000 with a contract value of N100million, while other projects listed for execution of the Environment Ministry are also under the consideration of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs.
Mr. Anthony said in Abuja that his group is afraid government risks losing billions of Naira if the projects were awarded to contractors through the ministries' in-house procurement processes without being subjected to approval guidelines, considering that they are below the cost margin or threshold approved for them by BPP.
It was learnt yesterday that the duplication also involves the Niger Delta "State of Environment Report" on which the Federal Ministry of Environment plans to spend N15 million, despite another N600million appropriated for a similar purpose by the Niger Delta ministry.
The report is an exercise to audit the Niger Delta environment to establish impacted sites, products pipeline networks, and other such locations in the region.
Lame defence
But, following NDEBUMOG's alarm, the Permanent Secretary of the Niger Delta ministry has already directed the director in charge of environment to immediately convene a meeting with the relevant authorities in the Environment Ministry to review and reconcile the duplication.
"The ministries have agreed that the implementation of some of the projects being proposed to the BOF under the Medium Term Sectoral Strategy (MTSS) for 2011 and 2015 are obviously beyond the number of projects the Niger Delta Ministry's budget can accommodate," a ministry official said on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter.
"Some of the projects, like the Tombia Shoreline protection projects, which have about 10 components, is so long, and cannot be handled with the Ministry of Environment budget alone. Some of these projects have not only overlapped, but are not even labelled. That is why one project could be credited to more than one ministry," the official added.
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