Senator Ita Enang, senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East, has queried the authority of Mallam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), governor to embark on the construction of a N98bn international convention centre in Abuja without the approval of the National Assembly.
The lawmaker raised the issue yesterday during his contributions to the ongoing debate on the general principles of the 2014 budget proposal.
He noted that the contract for the centre was approved by the contracts tender board of the CBN without the approval of the Bureau of Public Procurement.
The centre, according to Inang, will comprise an auditorium, exhibition/multi functional halls, restaurants, shops, a five-star and a three-star hotel.
The lawmaker also raised the alarm over the reported purchase of the NITEL building at the Central Business Area of Abuja, where the international convention centre would be cited.
“How much did the CBN use in buying the NITEL building at the central area? How much and who was paid to control- bomb the building, which land is now for the CBN’s five-star hotel and convention centre? Could this money not be used to fund the national budget?”, Inang said.
The lawmaker also raised the issue of some other unauthorised spending by the CBN, including the funding of other hotels in Jos and Ilorin to the tune of N10bn each and the N50bn proposed for one hospital in Lagos.
Inang also sought to know the funding of the construction of helipads at some of the business locations of the apex bank.
According to the lawmaker, “These are done with excess money, which would have been used to fund the federal budget if the Ministry of Finance and the National Assembly have done what the law the National Assembly passed mandated her to do.
“Who owns who? Is it the CBN that owns Nigeria or Nigeria that owns the CBN? Is the CBN a government within a government or a government unto itself?”