Petition: Senate set to investigate NIRSAL’s MD, others
MD NIRSAL, Mr. Aliyu Abbati Abdulhameed
The Senate will soon commence an investigative public hearing into the activities of the Managing Director, Nigerian Incentive-Based Risk Sharing System for Agricultural Lending (NIRSAL), Mr. Aliyu Abbati Abdulhameed and 14 other members of the organization for alleged fraud.
This is sequel to a petition to the Senate by a concerned Nigerian against the managing director received by the office of the President of the Senate.
Apex News Exclusive gathered that a directive from the Chief of Staff to the Senate President was written to the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institution on May 12, 2020 to investigate the allegations contained in the petition.
NIRSAL Head Office, Abuja
Consequently, the chairman of the committee, Senator Uba Sani had written to Mr Abdulhameed to explain issues raised in the petition. These include how NIRSAL spent about N1billion on security issue outside its mandate which entails de-risking agricultural and facilitation of finance to the section, how the Managing Director is able to spend monies running into millions far above the approval limit of the office, and money laundering activities and conflict of interest in the scheme.
According to Senator Sani, the Committee requests a response by the managing director to the petition with factual figures and attach documentary evidence.
Besides, it also requested that all written submissions must be defended under oath at an investigative Public Hearing at a later date.
NIRSAL has been enmeshed in an alleged fraud of about N5billion involving its managing director and some management staff among others involving a wheat project to be established in Jigawa State.
It was gathered that soon after N5bilion was earmarked for the large-scale project, monies were diverted using cronies and questionable accounts.