The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Wednesday dismissed claims by the House of Representatives that it spent N13bn within one month.

The House committee on NEMA had mandated the Director-General of the agency, Mustapha Maihaja to appear before it within 48 hours.

The committee demands that he explains how he spent N13bn in just one month.

Committee chairman, Jibrin Santumari alleged that the NEMA boss had been involved in wasteful spending since he assumed office at the agency about three months ago.

But in a statement issued by the Head, Media and Public Relation, NEMA, Sani Datti, the agency stated that only N4.6m was in the account of the organisation when the new DG assumed office.

NEMA said, “Furthermore, it was reported that there was apprehension of eminent hunger and famine. Faced with this staggering reality on ground and paucity of fund at that time, the director-general was forced to urgently raise the issue with the Acting President who approved the release of 30,905 metric tonnes of food items from the government’s strategic reserve for immediate distribution to the affected communities.

“It must be stressed that the only fund released to the agency was N829m for distribution, logistics, security and associated cost. Out of this sum, only about N200m have been expended so far.”