The House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee on Tuesday queried the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Works, Dr Yakubu Adam, over the abandoned Gidanwaya-Guaran Dutse-Waman Rafi-Saminaka-Kano road project, of which payment of N1.46 billion had been made in full.

The committee chairman, Bamidele Salam, expressed his displeasure when the Permanent Secretary appeared before the panel after failing to turn up for two previous invitations over the matter. Salam indicated that the money for the project was a loan by the Federal Government.

At the end of the hearing, the committee ordered that the PS must come back next Monday. He was also directed to submit all relevant documents related to the project by Friday. This, he said would enable the committee to study them for a proper probe of the matter.

The Permanent Secretary in his response said the amount was not for the entire stretch, which is 133km but a portion of the road. He said the road was done in phases due to paucity of funds, while expressing surprise that the road had not been done.

He apologised for not coming following the previous invitations, as he said they did not get to him.