Ministry of defence to pay N10.6Bn compensation

Nigeria’s Ministry of Defence is to pay the total sum of N10.6 billion arising from court judgment, the Permanent Secretary, Samaila Aliyu has said.

Samaila told Senate Committee that the Ministry of Defence need to compensate people and organizations that won court cases against them adding that the money is put at N10.6 billion.

The permanent secretary also disclosed that for many years, the Ministry did not pay electricity bill amounting to N18 billion.

He said after negotiation with the Power Holdings Company of Nigeria (PHCN) through Minister of Justice, the bill was reduced to N8.5 billion.

Samaila told the Senators that the Ministry will put the compensation amount into the 2016 budget.

Senators wanted the ministry to  reduce its overhead but the permanent secretary, Samaila, insisted that the compensation has made it difficult for the Ministry to reduce over heads cost.