By Hillary Asemota
The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP), an agency under the purview of the Federal Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (FMSTI) has said Nigerians are free and at will to deploy the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act to interrogate its activities and financial expenses even as it vehemently debunked the allegation that the agency spent N46 billion to purchase vehicles and N23 million for stationaries.
The Deputy Director, Public Relations and Communications of NOTAP, Mr. Solomon Danjuma Nshem, in a reaction to the publication, condemned the publication in its entirety, adding that it is falsehood and malicious for an online paper worth its salt to publication such without proper investigation.
According to him, the attention of NOTAP been drawn to the publication alleging that the House of Representatives was investigating the Director General of NOTAP Dr. DanAzumi Mohammed Ibrahim over the fraudulent purchase of vehicles worth N46 billion and stationeries to the tune of N23 million.
He said: “Ordinarily, NOTAP would not have responded to this allegation but in order to put the records straight, we wish to unequivocally state that the said vehicles were not purchased at N46 billion naira but N46 million naira in 2021 for the smooth operation of the Office.
“The vehicles purchased were a 2021 model Toyota Prado Landcruiser and a 2021 model Toyota Yaris which were captured under the 2021 project vehicle budget line and directly purchased by the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) accredited vendors after receiving certificate of no objection from BPP.”
According to him, NOTAP is one of the most prudently managed government organizations if not the most prudent in the country and it beats one’s imagination to hear that an organization with an exceptional reputation like NOTAP is spending N46 billion naira to purchase vehicles, he added.
The DG, Nshem, said was appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari on 22nd of October 2015 for a 4-year tenure and reappointed for another 4-year term in October, 2019 because of his dedication to duty, commitment, hard work, loyalty, prudent management of resources, passion and outstanding contribution towards the development of Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) not only in Nigeria but Africa.
“It is on record that between 2015 to 2019 which was Dr. Ibrahim’s first term in office, NOTAP saved the nation over N79.63 billion that would have left Nigeria’s shores as capital flight through its strict regulation of foreign technology transfer agreements.
“This feat would have been impossible without the prudent, resourceful and highly disciplined leadership being provided by Ibrahim which is glaring with the financial savings to the national economy and building of a befitting office complex that is about 90 percent completion. The project was conceptualized by his predecessors and with Ibrahim’s resourcefulness the project is almost completed.” He said.