THE Senate has indicted some officials of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs for illegally disposing of six vehicles costing N90 million for N2 million less than one year after the acquisition of the vehicles.

The probe was carried out by the Senator Matthew Urhoghide(PDP, Edo South) led Senate Committee on Public Accounts

The Committee, which relied on the 2015 report of Auditor General for the Federation, demanded that the Accounting Officer in the Ministry (Permanent Secretary) should be sanctioned for illegally disposing those vehicles.

The vehicles were purchased from JBS motors on June 23 and August 18, 2014.

The Senate said in the report submitted for consideration, that “The Ministry disposed a total of 22 vehicles to various beneficiaries in May 2015 and realized a total sum of N5.2 million.

“Out of the 22 vehicles, six were purchased on June 23 and August 18, 2014 from JBS Motors and Co, Abuja at a total cost of N105 million and duly paid for.

“Less than one year after acquisition, six vehicles costing N90M million were sold at a ridiculous sum of N2.1 million.”

However, the Ministry claimed that the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing was invited to evaluate the vehicles before they were sold.

But, the Committee in its Investigation discovered that the Evaluation report of the Federal Ministry of Works did not include the newly-purchased vehicles.

Consequently, the Committee ordered for the repayment of N61.4 million being the disposable value of the vehicle be recovered and paid into the Treasury.

Source:- Vanguard