• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • NAHCON

      Renewed Hope in Hajj Operations: NAHCON Records Milestone Achievements Under Tinubu…

      Mohammed Idris Malagi, Honorable Minister of Information and National Orientation

      FG Reaffirms Non-Interference in ICPC, EFCC Operations

      ICPC Secures Conviction of Rector for Running Unaccredited Degree Programmes

      Engr Abba Babagana Dalori

      Engr Dalori Forfeits Galaxy Hospital, Petrol Station, Properties & Cash

      Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • FG, States, LGs Share N2.225trn Revenue for August – FAAC

      Nigeria Customs Aligns with Finance Ministry over 4% FOB Policy Review

      Members Board of Directors of Dangote Refinery

      Dangote Refinery Deploys 4,000 CNG Trucks, Promises 24,000 Jobs as Fuel…

      Renewed Hope in Central Banking

      Book Review: Renewed Hope in Central Banking – A Blueprint for…

      NAHCON

      Renewed Hope in Hajj Operations: NAHCON Records Milestone Achievements Under Tinubu…

  • National
    • NAF Air Strikes Kill Scores of Terrorists, Destroy Enclaves in Borno

      FG, States, LGs Share N2.225trn Revenue for August – FAAC

      Tinubu Lifts State of Emergency in Rivers, Reinstates Fubara, Legislators

      Crowned Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia

      Saudi Frees Nigerian Pilgrims Framed by Drug Syndicate

      President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim presenting a cheque to women

      Renewed Hope Agenda: Group Passes Vote Of Confidence On Tinubu’s Minister,…

    • Government
      • FG, States, LGs Share N2.225trn Revenue for August – FAAC

        ICPC Secures Six-Year Jail Term for Sokoto River Basin Director

        Chairman NAHCON Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman meets with Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda

        NAHCON Boss Meets Katsina Governor, Pushes for Early 2026 Hajj Payments,…

        MURIC to Alaafin: No Law Grants You Power to Appoint Chief…

        President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim presenting a cheque to women

        Renewed Hope Agenda: Group Passes Vote Of Confidence On Tinubu’s Minister,…

  • Security
    • NAF Air Strikes Kill Scores of Terrorists, Destroy Enclaves in Borno

      ICPC Secures Six-Year Jail Term for Sokoto River Basin Director

      Police Officer

      Kaduna Police Arrest Two Suspects Over Illegal Possession of Firearms

      Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar,meets with Security Leaders in Beijing

      Badaru Joins Global Leaders at Beijing Forum on Peace, Security

      Crowned Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia

      Saudi Frees Nigerian Pilgrims Framed by Drug Syndicate

  • Features
    • A Group of Terrorists/Bandits

      Nigeria Fights Back Against Banditry and Insecurity By Senator Iroegbu

      A Group of Terrorists/Bandits

      Nigeria Fights Back Against Banditry and Insecurity

      Engr. Suleiman Bolakale Kawu Agaka

      Engr. Kawu: A Heroic Homecoming for a Man of the People…

      Prof Isa Pantami, former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy

      Gombe Tech Training: Pantami’s Call for a Paradigm Shift By Muhd…

      Healing Nigeria: A Chronicle of Health Reforms

      Book Review: Is This the Cure? A Look into Healing Nigeria…

  • State
    • ICPC Secures Six-Year Jail Term for Sokoto River Basin Director

      Chairman NAHCON Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman meets with Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda

      NAHCON Boss Meets Katsina Governor, Pushes for Early 2026 Hajj Payments,…

      Police Officer

      Kaduna Police Arrest Two Suspects Over Illegal Possession of Firearms

      Crowned Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia

      Saudi Frees Nigerian Pilgrims Framed by Drug Syndicate

      MURIC to Alaafin: No Law Grants You Power to Appoint Chief…

  • Event
    • Chairman NAHCON Professor Abdullahi Saleh Usman meets with Katsina State Governor Dikko Radda

      NAHCON Boss Meets Katsina Governor, Pushes for Early 2026 Hajj Payments,…

      Flier for the programs that happened for the elderly by members of BUKAA FCT

      BUKAA FCT Appreciates Sponsors after Aerobics, Football Exercises

      Prof. Abubakar Mu’azu

      UNIMAID appoints Prof. Mu’azu as Pioneer Dean, Faculty of Communication

      NIPR President Ike Neliaku

      NIPR Inducts 422 New Members, Urges Commitment to National Unity

      Baze University Management visits TETFUND, Showcases Tech-Driven Growth, National Impact

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home National Agric Staff Exonerate Perm Sec Umar Bello of Allegations, Wrongdoings
  • National

Agric Staff Exonerate Perm Sec Umar Bello of Allegations, Wrongdoings

By
Prnigeria
-
May 25, 2020
Dr Umar Bello Perm SEc Agric Science
Dr Umar Bello Perm SEc Agric Science

Agric Staff Exonerate Perm Sec Umar Bello of Allegations, Wrongdoings
… Say he has excellent track records, unblemished Reputation

The disquiet that followed the recent query issued to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology Dr. Umar Bello is gradually thinning out as further information reveals that the queried Permanent Secretary was actually on a mission to sanitize the Agric Ministry.

A top Agric Ministry official who would not want his name in print confided in Economic Confidential that the embattled Bello during his tenure, stabilized the accounting processes and contract management procedures, apart from instituting roll-over budgetary process for ongoing projects in the ministry.

He further told this paper that almost over 30 years of the Ministry of Agriculture in Abuja, most of the offices were still scattered in various rented apartments and structures, stressing that the policy thrust of the Buhari administration is to minimize wastages which eventually influenced the resolve to get permanent structures.

Investigation further showed that as an interim measure to curtail wastages and cut costs on rents, department were moved to buildings belonging to Bank of Agriculture (BOA), Nigeria Agricultural Insurance Corporation (NAIC) and some FADAMA structures to save government from incurring expenses.

Meanwhile on the alleged N7 billion spent in buying an uncompleted building for the ministry, Economic Confidential gathered from the top ministry official that the contract has been awarded by the ministry to complete the building but the award letters were not released by the current Permanent Secretary for reasons yet unknown.

Search also revealed that contrary to allegations that the erstwhile permanent secretary was invited to the anti-graft agency for questioning, only the Director of Finance and Accounts with his Procurement counterpart visited the agency to clear the air on allegations against them.

Some staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development who spoke to Economic Confidential on conditions of anonymity noted that due process which had hitherto prevailed in contract procedures has been jettisoned as contracts are no more advertised and bided for in comparison to the time past.

Our Source also disclosed that currently some activities in the Agric Ministry involved virements as letters on awards of contracts where neither signed nor released to the respective contractors. Instead funds are allegedly diverted and vire to other projects in unbudgeted localities that were never part of the appropriation, neither advertised nor bided for.

Read Also:

  • NAF Air Strikes Kill Scores of Terrorists, Destroy Enclaves in Borno
  • FG, States, LGs Share N2.225trn Revenue for August – FAAC
  • ICPC Secures Six-Year Jail Term for Sokoto River Basin Director

Efforts to reach both the former and current permanent secretaries in the Ministry of Agriculture to state their own side of the stories proved abortive as phone calls were neither replied nor returned as at the time of filing this report.

The former Permanent secretary of Agriculture Dr Umar Bello from Tambuwal Sokoto State is currently the Perm Sec at Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, while the current Permanent Secretary of Agric, Dr Abdulkadir Mu’azu from Zaria, Kaduna State was Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Mines and Steel. He had earlier served in the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for three months.

Meanwhile, in a recent response to allegations of financial recklessness levelled against Mohammed Umar Bello which was leaked to the press, the Science and Technology Permanent Secretary said the Minister of Agriculture, and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the purchase of the building.

In his reply dated May 14, he said all the financial transactions made while at the ministry of agriculture followed due process

“While denying in totality all the allegations, I hereby forward my representations and response to all the false allegations contained in the query,” the permanent secretary said.

“I am constrained to give details of the transactions I approved to set the record straight and clear my name. I will like state the following that all transactions at the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were approved through Administrative process and principles as traditioned in the conduct of government business.

“That FMARD run a rolling budget year in year out as most projects are been captured as ongoing; that all contracts/procurement and payments at the FMARD followed due process.

“There are procedures for contracts/procurement and payments handled by various departments in all government agencies, FMARD inclusive.

“That my tenure as Permanent Secretary at FMARD commenced from 10th January, 2019 to 18th December, 2019 and hence cannot be held responsible or liable for actions prior to 10th January, 2019.

“I state that contractors were dully paid. The allegation of contractors not been paid is totally false. All contractors whose contract was captured in the 2018 budgetary allocation were paid in accordance to budgetary releases.

“However, contractors whose contracts are ongoing were rolled over as ongoing. Rollover capital projects are not new in contract management.

“I will state that due process was followed to the latter in the purchase of the said building. After submission of recommendation to the Hon. Minister of Agriculture; He approved that Council Memo be made to that effect.

“We then sent the Memo to the Secretary to Government of the Federation who then scheduled it for Federal Executive Council Approval. Consequently, the Federal Executive Council approved the purchase of the building.

By PRNigeria

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Abdulkadir Mu'azu
  • Agric Ministry
  • Umar Bello
Previous articleMilitary Air Component Eliminates 200 Bandits in Katsina, Zamfara
Next articleHow Police Squad Invaded Abuja Estate, Shot Teenager, Assaulted Family
Prnigeria
Prnigeria
https://prnigeria.com
PRNigeria is the pioneer Press Release Distribution agency in Nigeria. A member of image Merchant Promotions limited, PRNigeria encourages individuals and organisations to be more transparent in their information management. with dedicated Editorial staffs, the PRNigeria ensures that information provided on its platforms are timely, factual and authoritative Read more at: //prnigeria.com/about/
Facebook Twitter

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

NAF Air Strikes Kill Scores of Terrorists, Destroy Enclaves in Borno

FG, States, LGs Share N2.225trn Revenue for August – FAAC

Tinubu Lifts State of Emergency in Rivers, Reinstates Fubara, Legislators

Crowned Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia

Saudi Frees Nigerian Pilgrims Framed by Drug Syndicate

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Minister of Women Affairs Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim presenting a cheque to women

Renewed Hope Agenda: Group Passes Vote Of Confidence On Tinubu’s Minister, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim

A Group of Terrorists/Bandits

Nigeria Fights Back Against Banditry and Insecurity By Senator Iroegbu

Troops Neutralise Five Terrorists in Borno, Taraba Operations

Omoyele Sowore and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu

Finally, DSS Files Charge Against Sowore, Twitter, and Facebook over Anti-Tinubu Post

Prof Isa Pantami, former Minister of Communication and Digital Economy

Gombe Tech Training: Pantami’s Call for a Paradigm Shift By Muhd El-Bonga Ibraheem

Members Board of Directors of Dangote Refinery

Dangote Refinery Deploys 4,000 CNG Trucks, Promises 24,000 Jobs as Fuel Queues End

Nnamdi Kanu of IPOB arrested by Nigerian security services

Court Rejects Nnamdi Kanu’s Request for Transfer to National Hospital

Troops Repel Bandit Ambush in Katsina as Four Farmers Abducted in Zamfara

Recent Posts

  • NAF Air Strikes Kill Scores of Terrorists, Destroy Enclaves in Borno
  • FG, States, LGs Share N2.225trn Revenue for August – FAAC
  • ICPC Secures Six-Year Jail Term for Sokoto River Basin Director
  • NAHCON Boss Meets Katsina Governor, Pushes for Early 2026 Hajj Payments, Promises Easier Exercise
  • Kaduna Police Arrest Two Suspects Over Illegal Possession of Firearms
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
NAF Air Strikes Kill Scores of Terrorists, Destroy Enclaves in BornoFG, States, LGs Share N2.225trn Revenue for August – FAACICPC Secures Six-Year Jail Term for Sokoto River Basin DirectorNAHCON Boss Meets Katsina Governor, Pushes for Early 2026 Hajj Payments, Promises Easier ExerciseKaduna Police Arrest Two Suspects Over Illegal Possession of FirearmsTinubu Lifts State of Emergency in Rivers, Reinstates Fubara, LegislatorsBadaru Joins Global Leaders at Beijing Forum on Peace, SecuritySaudi Frees Nigerian Pilgrims Framed by Drug SyndicateTroops Ambush Bandits in Plateau, Neutralise One MURIC to Alaafin: No Law Grants You Power to Appoint Chief Imam of OyoRenewed Hope Agenda: Group Passes Vote Of Confidence On Tinubu’s Minister, Imaan Sulaiman-IbrahimNigeria Fights Back Against Banditry and Insecurity By Senator IroegbuNigeria Fights Back Against Banditry and InsecurityNavy Retrains Personnel on Weapon Handling to Boost Operational EfficiencyFirefighters Rescue Nine Victims from Burning 6-Storey Building in Lagos
X whatsapp