The Senate’s Public Account Committee (SPAC), has summoned Petroleum Trust Development Fund (PTDF) over demolition of construction of site of National Council for Art and Culture (NCAC) in Kaduna despite the provision of N2 billion compensation for the affected people in the area.
Senator Mathew Urhogbide (PDP Edo South)-led committee hinged the summon on report to that effect by the Auditor General of the Federation.
The Auditor General had in the 2017 audit report, issued query against NCAC over alleged failure to justify the N44 million earmarked for the construction of their office in Kaduna.
But, the Director General of the agency, Segun Runsewe, while responding to the query said the money was judiciously spent by the agency for the construction of their office in Kaduna, but the site was demolished by PTDF for the construction of their training school.
He explained that the Kaduna state government which gave the site to the agency, made it available to PTDF, and the arrangement was made for compensation after the demolition for the real owners of the land in that area, but the PTDF declined to pay compensation.
According to him, the federal government has PTDF approval to build their training Institute in Kaduna and revoke our land in the area, but the money earmarked for the compensation was not paid to us after the demolition.
He said the same PTDF came to their land in Abuja and took over the land adding that NCAC is the real owners of the land in Abuja before it was taken over from them.
After the explaination by the Director General of NCAC, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Urhogbide, resolved to invite the PTDF before the committee to explain their refusal to pay compensation despite the provision of N2 billion for the real owners of the land.
According to Chairman, “PTDF is expected to appear before the Senate Committee on July 19 and defend their decision not to compensate NCAC despite the N2 billion meant for compensation”.
