SERAP queries NEMA over alleged N1bn paid to Israeli company since 2010 for undelivered new aircraft

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has demanded that the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) must immediately give an account of the N1.054 billion it reportedly paid to an Israeli-based company in 2010 for purchase of a new aircraft, which was allegedly never delivered to the agency.

The report by the Auditor-General of the Federation, (OAuGF), had shown that NEMA was yet to take delivery of the aircraft 10 years after paying a deposit of N1,054,222,576 to an Israeli company.

The payment was reportedly made in 2010; but, as of March 2020, the audit report submitted to the National Assembly on November 30, 2023 stated that no aircraft has been supplied to the agency, stating that the deposit was also not refunded by the contractor.

Whereas NEMA reportedly said that it secured a judgment in a debt-recovery case on the matter, the audit report accused the agency of mismanagement and allowing relief materials to rot away.

The report said that NEMA management failed to deduct and remit about N19.2 million as Value-Added Tax (VAT) and Withholding Taxes (WHT) from payments made on supplies of relief materials and other services rendered to the agency, stressing that though the VAT and WHT ought to have been deducted from the contractors invoices.

The audit report further stated that NEMA failed to account for about N99. 42 million of the N560, 235,145.50 granted to officers as non-personal advances in 2018.

Also, another N47, 974,375.87 from N715, 316,976.10 granted to officers as non-personal advances in 2019 were also not retired, adding that NEMA failed to distribute 26,106 50 Kg bags of rice of the 135,000 donated by the Chinese government as intervention support for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the North-East.

Asking the agency to account for the money paid for the aircraft in 2010, SERAP, in posts on its X handle on Thursday, said, We urge the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Abuja to account for the over N1 billion (N1,054,222,576.00) reportedly paid “to an Israeli based company for a new aircraft in 2010” that was never delivered. We’ll hold NEMA to account if it fails to act.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Abuja reportedly paid over N1 billion (N1, 054,222,576.00) for ‘a new aircraft in 2010.’ But the aircraft has not been delivered to date. The Auditor-General fears the money may have been pocketed.

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