Perhaps because they see the funds as usual government bonanza. But this is where they get it wrong because they can’t be living large with our collective scarce resources while the people suffer as a result of poor mass transportation.
By Ife Osemedua
365Daily – The Chairman of the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee on investigation of Failure of Federal Mass Transit Schemes in Nigeria since 1999, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, has assured that the committee will unearth those behind the mismanagement of over N41 billion naira funds plugged into the scheme by successive governments since 1999 without commensurate results.
This is just as he expressed dismay that the schemes set up to ameliorate transportation challenges of Nigerians yielded abysmal results.
Hon. Ogene said these in a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, August 28, 2023, wherein he also registered displeasure ove4 the seeming reluctance by line ministries and agencies to release documents relating to public funds expended on previous mass transit schemes.
Speaking on the probe, he said “this becomes important especially at this period of grueling multifaceted economic challenges that have heightened the sufferings of the people and lowered the living conditions of many.”
Hon. Ogene, who represents Ogbaru Federal Constituency in Anambra State and leads Labour Party caucus in the House, further disclosed that in 2012 alone, over N16 billion was released through The Infrastructure Bank (TIB), for the purchase of buses for Public Mass Transit from the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme S(URE-P funds) under the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan from the Public Mass Transit Revolving Fund, PMTF.
“A total of 1,179 vehicles were released to the beneficiaries under the scheme, with a repayment plan covering four years. But according to TIB, many of the beneficiaries defaulted and didn’t repay the loans.
“For instance, records show that as at December 2015, only two of the beneficiaries, ABC Transport PLC and The Young Shall Grow Transport Limited, liquidated their loans. Most of the beneficiaries are yet to pay as stipulated in the contractual agreements signed between them and TIB.
“Perhaps because they see the funds as usual government bonanza. But this is where they get it wrong because they can’t be living large with our collective scarce resources while the people suffer as a result of poor mass transportation. The committee shall make the defaulters to account for every government money they have misapplied.”
He also said that on October 4, 2016, the then Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah, announced that the Federal Government had also set up a N25 billion revolving loan scheme to enable transport companies in the country purchase Mass Transit Vehicles.
Just a year ago, in August 2022, the immediate past Minister of State for Transport revealed that former President Muhammadu Buhari had approved the establishment of yet another Mass Transit Scheme, and a committee set up for its implementation.
In view of these developments, especially with documented abysmal results, Hon. Ogene said that his ad-hoc committee has been mandated to look into all these developments, with a view to finding out what went wrong, who did what and why the people are being made to suffer as a result of what may likely be individual, corporate or institutional failures.
The Committee’s brief covers road transport, waterways and rail transportation in Nigeria.