PEOPLE ARE STILL STEALING CHIBOK MONEY ? Reps probe diversion of N500m Chibok school repair fund

hehehe...Naija sha.....chei......Two years after the Federal Government earmarked N500m for the reconstruction of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, in Borno State, the project has yet to take off.

The school came into limelight in 2014 after Boko Haram insurgents abducted over 200 girls from the premises while they were taking their final examinations.

The insurgents also destroyed the school and chased away all the members of staff.

Chibok has remained in the news as the search for the majority of the girls continues.

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a resolution to investigate what happened to the N500m, especially that the school had not been rebuilt.

A member from Imo State, Mr. Nnana Igbokwe, who moved a motion on the matter, recalled how former President Goodluck Jonathan made a provision for the N500m in the 2015 budget.

The fund was provided on the ‘Safe School Initiative’ sub-head in the budget by a former Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.

“The House is aware that the Federal Government earmarked N500m for the reconstruction of the Government Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.

“Also aware that the reconstruction was flagged off by the then Minister of Finance, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala”, the lawmaker told the House.

He also said efforts to get clarification from the Federal Ministry of Finance on the money had been abortive, “indicating that the funds approved for the reconstruction work may have been diverted.”

Igbokwe added, “The Governor of Borno State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, in one of his recent visits to Chibok, alerted the world that the school has not been reconstructed.”

The member representing Damboa/Chibok Federal Constituency, Mrs. Asabe Vilita-Bashir, confirmed that she was aware the money was released.

However, she expressed worries that like other Nigerians, the people of Chibok had not seen any progress in the rebuilding of the school.

“There is no construction going on at the site. The money was released; it is a very disturbing development, Mr. Speaker,” she stated.

The Chairman, House Committee on Federal Judiciary, Mr. Aminu Shagari, called on the government to go ahead and rebuild the school and not to be deterred by the intimidation of the  Boko Haram insurgents.

Shagari, who is from Sokoto State, informed the House that the insurgents had threatened to continue to destroy schools, which they considered to be symbols of evil.

But, he said the government should not be deterred.

“We should not be intimidated by the threats of Boko Haram insurgents.

“The Chibok school is a symbol of Nigeria’s resilience against terrorism,” Shagari added.

Meanwhile, in a separate resolution, lawmakers condemned the escalating attacks on villagers by ‘unknown’ gunmen in Southern Kaduna in Kaduna State.