Senate summons PTDF Boss over N2bn land compensation

The Senate Public Account Committee (SPAC) has summoned the Executive Secretary of the Petroleum Technology Development Fund, Dr. Bello Aliyu, to appear before it on July 19.

Aliyu was being invited over the alleged demolition of the Abuja and Kaduna offices of the National Council for Arts and Culture on the orders of his agency, without paying N2 billion compensation to displaced residents.

The Chairman of SPAC, Senator Mathew Urhogbide, summoned Aliyu, while his panel was considering the query of the Auditor General for the Federation (AuGF) in the 2017 Audit Report.

The AuGF had queried NCAC over its failure to do justice to the N44 million earmarked for the construction of its office in Kaduna, capital of Kaduna State, despite the fact that N2 billion had been earmarked to compensate those who would be displaced from the land.

The Director General of NCAC, Chief Segun Runsewe, while appearing before the Senate panel at its last sitting on Friday, said the N400 million was judiciously spent by his agency for the construction of its office in Kaduna.

He, however, said the site was demolished by PTDF for the construction of its training school.

Runsewe added that the Kaduna State Government handed over the site which was originally allocated to the NCAC, to the PTDF.

He said an arrangement was made for compensation after the demolition  to the real owners of the land, but that the PTDF allegedly refused to pay the beneficiaries.

He said the PTDF claimed that it had the federal government’s approval to build its training institute in Kaduna.

The NCAC boss said his agency’s titles to the land was revoked but that the money earmarked for the compensation was not paid to the NCAC after the site’s demolition.

Runsewe further lamented that the PTDF also took over the NCAC’s land in Abuja.

The Senate panel therefore resolved to invite the PTDF management to explain its refusal to pay compensation despite the provision of N2 billion for the initial occupants of the land.

The SPAC Chairman said: “The PTDF should appear before us on July 19 and explain its refusal to pay out the compensation.

“PTDF is expected to appear before the Senate Committee on July 19 and defend its decision not to compensate NCAC despite the fact that the N2bn meant for compensation,” it said. (THISDAY)