Senate Probes NDLEA’s N1.5bn Recruitment Spending

The Senate has begun a probe into the N1.5 billion spent by the National Drugs and Law Enforcement Agency for the recruitment of 5,000 staff in 2021.

The Senate Committee on Public Account wondered why the agency expended such an exorbitant amount for its recruitment process.

The N1.5 billion was collected through Service Wide Votes by NDLEA.

The Committee Chairman, Senator Mathew Urhoghide, queried why the agency used such an amount on the recruitment of 5000 personnel.

The Vice Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia, also backed his colleague on how the agency could spend such an amount on the recruitment of 5000 personnel.

In his defence, the Director of Finance and Account, Abdullahi Shitu, who represented the Chairman of the NDLEA claimed that part of the money was used to renovate the building at the training camp of the agency.

The lawmakers, however, rejected the explanation saying the authority to Incure Expenditure submitted by the agency showed it was for recruitment not for the building in the training camp.

The Committee, therefore, ordered the NDLEA to bring the nominal roll of the 5000 personnel of the agency for betting by Thursday (tomorrow).