By Emman Ovuakporie & Johnbosco Agbakwuru

ABUJA—THE House of Representatives, yesterday, resolved to investigate the allegations of financial misappropriation, mismanagement and executive lawlessness in the Lake Chad Basin Commission, LCBC.

File: National Assembly Complex

To this end, the House in session, directed its Committee on Lake Chad to organise an investigative hearing on the matter, with a view to addressing the issue.

The House, while adopting the motion, promoted by Omosede Igbinedion (PDP, Ovia, Edo) said Nigeria became a member of the LCBC in 1964 along with Chad, Niger and Cameroon, as part of measures to manage, in a sustainable and equitable manner, the Lake Chad and other trans-boundary water resources.

The House observed that the level of lawlessness at the commission resulted in disobedience to statutory organs of the commission, such as the Council of Ministers and Forum of Chiefs of Defence Staff, capable of derailing the commission from achieving its mandate.

The House also noted that contracts for the supply of furniture and other items had been awarded, mainly to nationals of the other member-countries without regard to due process and extant rules of the commission.

It added that Nigerians were being denied their rights in the execution of projects and in terms of promotions and appointments.