Reps To Probe $5m Lake Chad Feasibility Grant

The House of Representatives yesterday mandated its Standing Committee on Lake Chad to investigate the $5 million granted to the Lake Chad Basin Commission by the former administration of ex-President
Olusegun Obasanjo, for feasibility studies on how to divert rivers to the Lake.
The resolution by the House followed the unanimous adoption of a motion sponsored by Hon. Ahmed Abu at plenary, calling for the investigation.
He noted that the percentage contribution towards the commission’s annual budget is 40 per cent by Nigeria, 18 per cent by Libya, 20 per cent by Cameroon, 7 per cent by Niger, 11 per cent by Chad and 4 per cent by Central African Republic.
The lawmaker said that the environmental audit report on the drying up of the Lake Chad given by the Auditor-General of the Federation in October 2015 did not take into account the report of the feasibility studies.
According to him, the transaction of such magnitude paid for with tax payers’ monies has not been given the due attention it deserves by way of a follow-up.
The House adopted the motion through a voice vote after it was put to question by the Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara, who presided over the session.
The committee is expected to report back to the House within eight weeks.