TheNewsGuru

Tag: NDDC

  • Collapse: NDDC says its MD, Pondei attended reps hearing against doctor’s warning

    Collapse: NDDC says its MD, Pondei attended reps hearing against doctor’s warning

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has explained that its acting Managing Director, Prof. Keme Pondei, collapsed at the National Assembly because he ignored his doctors’ advice on his state of health.

    A statement signed by the Director, Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, said Pondei has been ill for the past two weeks but that his condition deteriorated Monday morning necessitating his doctors to advise him against attending the hearing.

    Odili said: “The commission wishes to disclose that Prof Pondei has been ill for the past two weeks. This morning, his condition deteriorated, and his doctors advised against attending the hearing.

    “However, he ignored his doctors’ advice because of the realisation that his traducers will use his absence at the hearing to soil his name and reputation. He thought he could make it through the hearing and take care of his health later. As it turned out, his doctors were right. Prof Pondei is in a stable condition at a clinic in Abuja.”

    Odili said that Pondei assumed office on February 20, 2020 and by May 5, the two arms of the National Assembly ordered a probe of his tenure, two third of which was spent under COVID-19 lockdown conditions.

    He noted that following his position, Pondei, has an official duty to answer for the activities of the commission and what happened between 2008 – 2012 “which is the subject of another hearing based on the auditor general’s report for the period.”

    He said: “It would, however, be unfair to hold him personally liable for acts which took place when he was not the head of the Commission. When the two arms of the National Assembly called for a probe, it was over a missing N40bn. The Commission took the rare step of publishing all payments made by it under Prof Pondei. No organisation in Nigeria, public or private has ever got to that level of transparency in our national history.

    “As this publication undermined the claims of his accusers, the subject of the public hearing changed to ‘financial recklessness’. While this might appear insignificant, it amounted to changing the goal posts to smear a clean man. While misappropriation of N40bn is a matter demanding objective proof, the question of financial recklessness is one open to subjective judgement.

    “The Commission is delighted that Olubunmi Ojo, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC has recused himself from the hearing. At the end of the day, everyone has to answer for his role in the misappropriation of the resources of the Commission.

    “It is this search for answers that led President Muhammadu Buhari, on the request of the nine governors of the region, to institute a forensic audit to probe what happened to the resources of the Commission from 2001 to date.

    “The Prof Pondei led IMC has committed to the success of that exercise. While we thought there will be a fight back by those who dipped their hands in the cookie’s jar, we never expected this level of boldness and malevolent aggression as witnessed by accusers at hearing and their paid agents through all the media platforms.

    “The Commission is participating at the hearing, even though it thinks that seeing to the conclusion of the forensic audit will serve the future of the Commission and the Niger Delta region more than the probe of 74 days of activities.”

  • Contract scam: Akpabio narrates how NDDC spent N4.2b without his approval

    Contract scam: Akpabio narrates how NDDC spent N4.2b without his approval

    The Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio has narrated how management of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) spent the sum of N4.2 billion without his approval.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Akpabio, who gave the narrative before a House of Representatives committee probing alleged corruption in the NDDC, said he does not have knowledge of any contract allegedly awarded to the Chairman, House of Representatives Committees on NDDC, Rep. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo.

    At the investigative hearing on the alleged N40 billion irregular expenditure in the NDDC, Akpabio said that he was yet to see contract documents made to Tunji-Ojo’s company.

    “I am not sure if NDDC awarded contract to the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee, Rep. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo.

    “For me to say that, I need to see that contracts were awarded to his company; may be the contract was awarded in the area where he comes from in Ondo,” he said.

    Recall that Tunji-Ojo was accused of executing contracts by the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, and as a result of the allegation, Tunji-Ojo stepped aside as chairman of the committee to allow for a free and fair hearing and not to be a judge in his own case.

    The acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, had accused Tunji-Ojo of corrupt practices in the commission.

    On the rift with the former acting Managing Director of NDDC, Ms Joy Nunieh, Akpabio alleged that she was sacked for insubordination.

    On the forensic audit, Akpabio said that the forensic audit directed by President Muhammadu Buhari is ongoing and that the process had not been hijacked as alleged in some quarters.

    He explained that the NDDC draws its funds from two sources, the Federal Government and the oil companies.

    Akpabio recommended that the budgeting system for NDDC be changed so that it will reflect budget lines in the Appropriate Act.

    He also recommended some amendment to the NDDC Act to prevent the management from spending beyond its threshold by splitting big projects into small components.

    Akpabio said that management of the NDDC had spent N4.2 billion, which is beyond its threshold by splitting projects into small components of N49 million to evade the approval of the supervising minister.

    The minister said that no member of staff of the NDDC had been sacked under his watch, saying that even those on leave got COVID-19 allowance.

    Contrary to allegations claiming that the IMC had spent N81.5 billion between February to May, Akpabio said only N23 billion had been spent.

    The minister said that only three contracts had been approved since he was appointed as minister of the ministry.

    According to him, the contracts include the procurement of forensic auditors, purchase of official cars for NDDC and the award of emergency project on the control of COVID-19.

    He told the lawmakers that all contracts were approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC); except of the emergency COVID-19 project.

    Akpabio said that at the time of his appointment, there was no budget running and could not have compelled the then IMC to pay N10 billion for Christmas largess to all state.

    He said, prior to the implementation of the of the TSA account, the NDDC had over 300 accounts across commercial banks saying that with such systems, monies could get missing.

  • BREAKING: Drama as Akpabio drops bombshell on lawmakers in ongoing NDDC probe [VIDEO]

    BREAKING: Drama as Akpabio drops bombshell on lawmakers in ongoing NDDC probe [VIDEO]

    Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio at the ongoing probe of alleged contract scam in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has said the biggest beneficiaries of contracts are lawmakers.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Akpabio said most of NDDC contracts were awarded to members of the National Assembly.

    “We all know that most of the contracts in NDDC are given out to members of the National Assembly,” Akpabio said.

    He was then interrupted by the members of the committee probing the rot in the NDDC who asked him to give clarifications on other issues.

    Press play to watch video attached below:

  • NDDC probe: What Pondei said before collapsing

    NDDC probe: What Pondei said before collapsing

    Acting Managing Director (MD) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Daniel Pondei has said he does not want to lie under oath, but that he will provide answers.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Pondei stated this before fainting during the probe in reply to grilling by the House of Representatives committee on how he got authorization to spend N1.32bn for COVID-19 palliatives.

    The acting NDDC MD had earlier corrected a committee member on the exact figure of the COVID-19 intervention figure. “N1.32bn, not N1.5bn,” Pondei said.

    Pondei started to lay out his defense, and according to him, scholarship payments are being processed.

    “The forensic audit is ongoing. I won’t comment on that. The NDDC doesn’t have jurisdiction over the audit. We only provide the necessary documents for it.

    “We promoted staff when we came in because morale was low,” he said.

    He describes the allegations made against him as a media trial.

    Hon. Thomas Ereyi-Tobi, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, gives Prof. Pondei the green light to “go ahead with your presentation.”

    “We should be allowed to debunk the allegations made against us,” Pondei says.

    Earlier, he also said the NDDC, under his management, has not awarded a single scholarship.

    Several students abroad have accused the NDDC of abandoning its financial obligations towards them.

    The House Committee has said they asked the Acting MD, Pondei, to submit 41 documents. Instead, he submitted four.

    Prof Pondei started by defending NDDC spending under his management, saying most of the spending was used to settle expenses incurred by past administrations.

    Committee members had discussed whether to commence by grilling Pondei or allow him to make a presentation.

    The Acting NDDC MD took his oath before the Committee before he stated to speak.

    He regretted the events of the previous week when he walked out on the committee.

    Chairman of the Committee, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, had to step down from the hearing after allegations of corruption were directed against him.

    The NDDC acting Managing Director, Pondei, had walked out of the hearing last week accusing Mr. Tunji Ojo of being an interested party in the probe

  • BREAKING(Video): NDDC boss collapses amid probe

    BREAKING(Video): NDDC boss collapses amid probe

    The acting Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, has collapsed during the ongoing hearing of the House Committee on the commission.

    Recall that there have have allegations and counter allegations of a missing N40 billion from the agency’s purse.

    Watch video below:

    Details soon..,

  • BREAKING: Chairman of NDDC probe committee steps down

    BREAKING: Chairman of NDDC probe committee steps down

    The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Rep. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo (APC-Ondo) has stepped down following accusations of involvement in corrupt practices in the commission.

    Tunji-Ojo stepped down on Monday at the ongoing investigation on alleged N40 billion irregular expenditures in the NDDC in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.

    Recall that the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC had on Thursday, July 16, walked-out on lawmakers during a public hearing after accusing Tunji-Ojo of corrupt practices in the commission.

    Stepping aside, Tunji-Ojo said that as a federal lawmaker he had kept his integrity in service of the people and would continue to do so.

    “I am not a president or governor and so I do not enjoy immunity; if you have case against me, send to the relevant security agencies and if I have case to answer, I will appear.

    “I read in national newspaper where the IMC accused me of being on revenge mission; this is not true; this investigation is about the emancipation of the Niger Delta people.

    “This is not about any individual but the good of the Niger Delta people and so I step aside as chairman to allow all party have a sense of free and fair hearing,” he said.

    The ongoing investigative public hearing is now being chaired by the Deputy Chairman of the committee, Rep. Thomas Ereyitomi.

     

    Details later…

  • How I was pressured to spend N10b as Christmas ‘palliatives’ — Nunieh

    How I was pressured to spend N10b as Christmas ‘palliatives’ — Nunieh

    The immediate past Acting Managing Director, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Joy Nuniel, on Friday recounted how pressure was mounted on her to give out Christmas palliatives last year to the tune of N10 billion.

     

    Her refusal to play ball, she told the House of Representatives on Niger Delta, was one of the ‘sins’ that cost her the appointment.

     

    Appearing before the House of Reps on the Zoom platform on Friday, Nunieh said all the talk about forensic audit in the NDDC was untrue as no such audit has started despite alleged huge payments made for the purpose.

     

    She said: “Two days after our inauguration, at the same Le Meridien Hotel (Port Harcourt), that was his first meeting with the IMC (Interim Management Committee), namely Dr. Cairo Ojougboh; the late EDFA, which I will not be talking about much, let me respect his soul, and the only other staff of the NDDC that was there, one Mr. Etiebet, who later became the head of the procurement unit.

     

     

     

    “At that meeting, he (Akpabio) reminded me about the dollars. Secondly, he told me that he wanted me to send some staff away; that they were the ones that spoilt Mrs Akwagaga (Enyia) who refused to sign and make certain payments and that he did not want them to spoil me.

     

    “He said the first thing I would do was to write a letter to him – he gave me the draft; that I should put it on my letterhead. In that letter, I was supposed to write that Senator (Peter) Nwaboshi owned the 98 companies. I never ever told the world that Senator Nwaboshi was the senator that was collecting the N1 billion.

     

    “The issue of the N1 billion was different. I said how can an individual be collecting N1 billion every month? The case of Senator Nwaboshi is the case of the 98 companies which I was supposed to write about.

     

    “The other thing was for employment. Of course, he had collected CVs from all gangs of godfathers. I also said I’m from the Niger Delta, and before I came, there was the issue of employment. The Federal Character Commission was giving NDDC the approval for employment, but that was stopped because of the scandal. I want to tell the world that I never did any employment. I never gave out a single contract from NDDC.”

     

    On claims of corruption against her, she said: “I am not corrupt. No contractor can sit anywhere and say they gave me N10. And I can say before the world that I’m the most unpopular MD ever that came to NDDC.

     

    “The money of the people of Niger Delta is blood money; I refused to touch it. Even when my friends were contractors, even when they claimed that they were owed monies, my instruction was that everybody should go and finish their jobs.

     

    “Everybody saw contractors go back to sites when I was MD. I was privileged to see all the videos. For one job, five people would send me videos of completion – the same job, the same video – and I would just laugh.”

     

    The former NDDC chief blamed the problems in the NDDC on three groups.

     

    Her words: “One group is the management, which is the IMC, and everybody is against the IMC. The second group is the staff of NDDC. And the third group, which I will start with, is the people of Niger Delta.

     

    “This story that we are all calling embarrassing stories cannot be complete without saying that the people of the Niger Delta region are responsible for what has happened – the frauds and corruption that have taken place in the NDDC. I’m speaking from personal experience.

     

    “As soon as an MD is appointed, people begin to rejoice and celebrate, not because they want you to do the right thing; not because they are interested in the development of the Niger Delta; but because they believe that it is now their turn to eat of the national cake.

     

    “They are not interested in anything. All they want is like palliatives. That is why for those who did not harden their heart like me, they fell for this palliative matter and they started giving out.

     

    “But because I was strong; because I always remembered the case of Gani Fawehinmi. Fawehinmi fought for the masses of this country. When he said he wanted to contest an election, they were not there. I remember that I needed to stand properly.

     

    “The second class is the staff. The staff of NDDC are from the Niger Delta region. The contracts that have been awarded are for their communities.

     

    “When I was appointed, I went from office to office; I sat in their offices and I told them, ‘You people are responsible for what has gone wrong in the zone.’

     

    “All the staff have in their wards or local government areas projects. If every staff of NDDC takes up a project in their local government area and ensures that they are well done, we will not have these issues.

     

    “Thirdly, the IMC. For the first time in the history of NDDC, no palliatives were given. I did not give out Christmas palliatives. I was under pressure to bring N10bn – N1bn per state – but I refused. The youths were complaining that things were difficult and I said ‘the day I give you this money, you know I have started collecting your money.’

     

    “I never gave any Christmas bonus or palliative during my time. For the first time in the history of NDDC, NDDC worked throughout December. There was no break except on public holidays.”

     

     

  • Court bars police, others from arresting ex-NDDC MD

    Court bars police, others from arresting ex-NDDC MD

    The High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State has restrained the Nigeria Police Force or any other law enforcement agency from arresting a former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Joi Nunieh.

    Armed policemen on Thursday barricaded the residence of Nunieh in Port Harcourt but their mission was frustrated by Governor, Nyesom Wike, who stormed her residence and took her to Government House.

    On Friday, Nunieh filed for an exparte application praying the court to bar the police from making further attempts to arrest her.

    Justice E. Thompson, granted the application brought to the court by her lawyer, Slyvester Adaka.

    The court restrained the NDDC or any other body from arresting Nunieh, pending the hearing and determination of the matter before it.

    When contacted, Nunieh confirmed that she got an injunction from the High Court in Rivers.

  • Police give officers backing for Joi Nunieh’s arrest

    Police give officers backing for Joi Nunieh’s arrest

    The Police Command in Rivers has said policemen who went to arrest Dr Joi Nunieh, the former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) were on legitimate duty.

    The command’s spokesman, DSP Nnamdi Omoni made the clarification in a statement on Friday in Port Harcourt, following reports that the presence of the policemen at the residence of Nunieh was not on the directive of the command.

    Recall it took the intervention of Gov. Nyesome Wike of Rivers on Thursday to stop the police operatives from arresting Nunieh from her residence in the early hours of the day.

    Omoni said the police operatives were from the Inspector General of Police (I-G) Monitoring Team, with support of the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Joseph Mukan.

    “The Rivers police command wish to clarify that officers who went to the residence of Nunieh were from the I-G Monitoring Team in Abuja on official assignment to the state.

    “The officers, before proceeding to Nunieh’s residence, observed due protocols and requisite standard operating procedures.

    “On arrival, the officers reported to the police command headquarters with their investigation activities duly signed and approved by the commissioner.”

    Omoni said that mobile policemen that accompanied the team to effect the arrest of Nunieh, went there on official duty, contrary to some media reports.

    “The reference that police officers went to arrest Nunieh without the directive of the CP and I-G is ridiculous and most unfortunate, hence should be disregarded.

    “Mukan is poised to deliver quality policing services and the command will continue to remain firm, focused and will not be distracted by any consideration,” he said.

  • BREAKING: Reps summon Akpabio, NDDC Acting MD

    BREAKING: Reps summon Akpabio, NDDC Acting MD

    The House of Representatives has summoned Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

    They are to appear unfailingly before the investigative Committee on Monday to answer questions on allegations against them.

    The House Committee on NDDC issued the summon at the continuation of its investigative hearing into the alleged missing N40 billion from NDDC funds.

    The Acting Managing Director, Prof. Pondei and his team had walked out of the investigating hearing on Thursday, leading the Committee to issue a Warrant of arrest.

    The Committee also directed that the summon on the Minister for Niger Delta Affairs and the Acting Managing Director be served on them through the media or any other substitutes means.