How Niger Delta ministry officials sold N90m vehicles at N2m, months after purchase

The officials of the Ministry of Niger Delta have been indicted by the Senate Public Accounts Committee (SPAC) for illegally disposing of six vehicles worth N90 million at give-away price of N2 million less than one year after acquisition.

The Senate panel after the investigation based on the 2015 report of Auditor-General of the Federation demanded that the Accounting Officer in the ministry (Permanent Secretary) should be sanctioned.

The vehicles were purchased from JBS Motors on 23rd of June 18th August 2014.

The Senate said in the report: “The ministry disposed of 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 23rd of June and 18th August 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 N90 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.

The committee, therefore, ordered for the repayment of N61.4 million being the disposable value of the vehicle, into the treasury.