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Tag: NDDC

  • NDDC: No amount of threats will stop us from investigating IMC, Reps’ C’ttee chairman warns detractors

    NDDC: No amount of threats will stop us from investigating IMC, Reps’ C’ttee chairman warns detractors

    …insists blackmails from militants can’t deter us

    The House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) on Tuesday vowed not to be deterred from carrying out the investigation into the allegations leveled against the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) despite series of blackmail and threat messages being issued by sponsored militant groups against the chairman and members of the NDDC Committee.

    Chairman, of the Committee, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo gave the assurance while addressiing news men in Abuja, in response to various allegations leveled against the National Assembly and himself by Dr. Cairo Ojougboh, IMC Executive Director Projects on a television station on Monday.

    Hon. Tunji-Ojo who dismissed the allegations, said: “It’s unfortunate that these allegations are coming up as I’ve always said are blackmails and it’s surprising because I became the chairman of this Committee in September last year and between September and now I can say categorically that not a kobo of contract has been awarded for emergency so I don’t know what he’s talking about.

    “It’s laughable because IMC themselves came into being in October last year, a month after I became the chairman of this Committee. The same Dr. Cairo said on Arise TV that they have not awarded a single contract since they came on board so how did One Trillion, Two Trillion or whatever trillion come into play? This is just sheer blackmail we expected it from the onset when the investigation process started and the bottom line is that we are not going to be deterred. I have to say this, this is coming after threats and after threat to life by militants, by different text messages, calls and etc; the threats have failed.

    “So the next agenda to stop the legislative work is blackmail. And I can say it categorically, we are more determined to work for the people of Niger Delta than ever. I can say it there is no One Trillion, Two Trillion, 10 Trillion or anything it does not exist. May be it only exist in the figment of their own imagination,” Hon. Tunji-Ojo noted.

    While stressing that the National Assembly “does not award contracts”, the NDDC Chairman observed that Dr. Ojougboh who accused him of getting multi-billion naira contracts in one breath barely a month after being inaugurated as NDDC chairman, in another breath denied that the IMC did not award any contract since it was inaugurated in October, 2019.

    According to the All Progressives Congress, APC law maker, “I’m surprised that anybody will award a job that is not in the budget and I’m surprised about that and I’ve gone through the 2019 budget as approved and I can tell you point blank that in the 2019 budget there’s no provision, there is nothing like emergency training in the 2019 budget, nothing like that, I don’t know what he’s talking about. And I’ve said it before and let me repeat for the umpteenth time I do not have a single contract in NDDC

    “They started with a 17 km road contract which they couldn’t substantiate and they’ve come up with another thing. We are only expecting what next, and only God know what else they will come up with again. I don’t have any contract in NDDC, I have never been a contractor to NDDC, I’ve never worked for NDDC and I’ve never been paid by NDDC for anything.

    “So I’m the chairman of this Committee by the grace of God. I know the responsibilities on my shoulder and I know that the Niger Delta people is looking up to us for succour. Niger Delta is looking up to us for intervention, Niger Delta is also looking up to us for help, Niger Delta is looking up to us for a greater tomorrow; we will not mortgage the future of the Niger Delta people for the sake of our today. That will never happen. I don’t have a contract and I repeat it again, don’t have a contract! And it is an indictment on their part if they claimed that there was a award for an unbudgeted item, that is a serious offence that I think the National Assembly must look into,” Hon. Tunji-Ojo stated.

    While reacting to allegations bothering on budget padding, Hon. Tunji-Ojo argued that the House and indeed the National Assembly reduced the proposed NDDC budget from N409.883 billion to N346,388,900,000 in line with its revenue projection submitted to the Parliament, adding that the proposed budget was inflated by N63 billion which was unjustifiable.

    According to him, “I listened to the interview yesterday they said we inflated the budget. Number one I have to say this thing, budget was not inflated. I will show you some documents. This was the summary of the revenue profile that NDDC brought. A budget of N409.883 billion was brought by NDDC. As a responsible parliament saddled with the responsibility of appropriation as guaranteed under section 81 of the constitution we sat down to look at how realistic this revenue profile is. You cannot spend money that you don’t have.

    “So we needed to be sure of the revenue profile for us to be able to adequately and appropriately appropriate in tune with global best practice. This is what we ended up with: and I will tell you how we can about it. For example, the Federal Government contribution to the NDDC budget which is statutory transfer is not a secret is always itemized in the Appropriation Act of the Federal Government for that particular fiscal year. For the 2019 fiscal year, the amount that was appropriated by the federal government signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in the budget was N100,188,900,000 as against a proposal by them of N128,688,000,000. Where are you going to raise the extra 28 billion from?

    “Are you going to manufacture money? You cannot manufacture money and it is budgetary in discipline for you to overstate your revenue profile. Once your revenue profile is defective, appropriation becomes faulty and once appropriation becomes faulty, implementation becomes impossible. So as a responsible parliament we needed to bring down 128 billion down to the approved 100 billion in the 2019 Appropriation Act of government. Number 2, they said Federal Government’s contribution unpaid arrears they stated it as 35 billion and take a look the budget of Nigeria is an open document. Take a look at it, you can go to www.budgetoffice.or.ng it’s online and look at the budgetary provision. It was a zero for unpaid arrears. Yet you stated 35 billion.

    “As a responsible parliament some of us came from a wide consulting background in the private sector and we said you cannot appropriate 35 billion that is not existing. So in tune with this, it means the budget revenue proposal submitted to us by NDDC was inflated unjustifiably to the tune of N63 billion, so for us to be able to appropriate, we called them when they came for budget defence precisely on the 10th of December 2019 this is impossible you can’t spend money that is not yours. Money that you don’t have you don’t spend it, you can’t use what you don’t have.

    “This budget will have to be reviewed to a new realistic point that’s why the budget was reviewed downward to N346,388,900,000. This is in line with the reality of the revenue available. So the issue of inflation of budget is not just despicable, it is mostly uncharitable. Nothing like that happened. Then Number 3, the power of appropriation as guaranteed under the constitution lies with the national assembly not a single project, I heard he (Dr. Cairo) said that Mr. President regional project were removed, I can tell you not a single project, not one and I stand to be quoted, this is their proposed 2019 budget that they brought. Take a look at this budget and take a look at the signed approved budget, not a single project was removed from the budget.

    “But once you have overstated your revenue, if your revenue changes your expenditure must change, and that was what happened. Also he spoke about bulkanisation of the projects, may I inform you that the percentage of new projects in the NDDC budget, I will give you the documents before you go, is just 9.1% of the entire NDDC budget. And by every standard I don’t see that as bulkanisation, 9.1% of the entire NDDC projects. So the issue of the balkanisation of the budget does not in any way arise. And also I have to put this on record, all these accusations are coming because the National Assembly decided to institute a probe after calls and different petitions and blackmail and threats have been used as a weapon to stop the National Assembly, that has not worked.

    “Then the latest one is this issue of sheer blackmail. We have called them if you have any document against me please release such documents or better still rather than unnecessary throwing of tantrums, approach the relevant security and anti-corruption agencies but the National Assembly will not be deterred from doing its work. We owe our loyalty to the Nigerian people and as a Committee we owe our loyalty to the people of the Niger Delta that have been deprived over the years. I will say this time around, we must have a Commission that will work not just for the people, it must work for everybody in the Niger Delta,” he stressed.

    While noting that the House had at no time indicted the IMC nor pass a resolution to that effect, Hon. Tunji-Ojo assured that the proposed investigation into various allegations would be free and fair, adding that the IMC members should seize from pursuing shadows as evident in all the antics adopted.

    He maintained that the House and indeed the National Assembly is in full support of the forensic audit being carried out in NDDC, as the National Assembly approved total sum of N2.5 billion for the exercise in the 2019 budget out of which the sum of N1.250 billion has been relaseed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to IMC.

    According to him, “It was stated yesterday that we are doing this probe because we are against the forensic. Let me say this clearly, I, Hon. Olubumi Tunji-Ojo I was on Politics Today on Channels Television, when the President approved the forensic and I openly supported it, until tomorrow I support it, my Committee support it, the House of Reps is in support, the Senate I know they are in support, the National Assembly is in support

    “To indicate our support, when the 2019 budget was brought, this is the 2019 budget, look at this budget proposal, the President approved forensic in October last year, this budget was brought to the National Assembly in November, precisely November 26, a month after the approval of the President for forensic. Yet, they did not put forensic as a budget line in the budget; they have no financial provision for forensic. It took the National Assembly in line with its power of appropriation to be able to provide funds for the forensic.

    “This is it in the budget, precisely serial No: 179 under regional for the forensic. The President approved the sum of N2.5 billion for the forensic and we budgeted for the provision of N2.5 billion in line with what the President approved and we made provision for N1.250 billion in 2019 budget of which they have already paid some, because we have records from CBN and others.

    “How else as a Legislature, as a responsible and responsive arm of government can we cooperate and show support for the forensic other than making these funds available? If we are not in support, we wouldn’t have made the funds available. Let me say emphatically, we are in support of forensic because the truth must be lay bared and what we are saying in the process of doing forensic if there are allegations, you should be able to defend yourself and not hide under forensic as if forensic has granted you immunity.

    “Forensic is not a medium of granting immunity and that’s all we are saying. We have not indicted anybody. All these things are still allegations against the IMC, there is no resolution of the House against them yet, all we are saying is there are allegations, come and defend yourself in line with the principle of fair hearing. We have written to them, we have written to several government agencies CBN, Accountant General, all of them and we are getting documents and we are going to get evidence and we have promised that this investigation is going to be free and fair. And I don’t see why everybody should be scared of their own shadow, there is no need. We are all working for the Niger Delta people, we don’t see them as enemies but allegations have been raised it is only ethical for you to clear yourself of allegations.

    “If you have nothing to hide, why throwing tantrums, why blackmail, why manufacturing figures, that doesn’t exist, talk is cheap, why blackmailing people, why blackmailing the Institution? But I want to assure you of one thing, and I will like to assure the people of Niger Delta we will not be intimidated, we will not be blackmailed into submission, we will do a thorough job, not just to our own satisfaction, not just to the satisfaction of the house but to the satisfaction of the people of the Niger Delta in line with the realities on ground. That is a promise we are making to the Niger Delta people,” Hon. Tunji-Ojo said.

  • Fuel subsidy: FG urged to channel revenue to health sector

    Fuel subsidy: FG urged to channel revenue to health sector

    An expert in the oil and gas industry has urged the federal government to use the opportunity presented by the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis to remove fuel subsidy in real terms and channel the revenue to the health sector of the Nigerian economy.

    Faith Nwadishi, Director of Women in Extractives, who made the call during a Twitter conference hosted by Dayo Ibitoye on Monday, said Nigerians did not get the full picture of the politics behind the removal of subsidy in the wake of Occupy Nigeria in 2012.

    The Director, therefore, called on the President Muhammadu Buhari government to implement transparently the removal of subsidy as recently announced by Mallam Mele Kyari, the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

    She also urged the Buhari’s government to ensure stability in the region where oil is produced by addressing conflicts and ensuring transparency in the developments in the sector, such as the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), the Ogoni cleanup, amongst other initiatives.

    “Nigerians did not have a full picture of the politics behind the removal of the subsidy. I was one of those in 2012 that opposed the subsidy removal but the reality is that even though we have been told that there is no more subsidy, we keep seeing budget lines for it.

    “As of 2012, we had completely abused the reason for a subsidy on a commodity such as PMS. It was a conduit for the siphoning of our commonwealth by a few individuals, rather than subsidy benefiting the masses, it benefited rulers.

    “If government decides to remove subsidy, they should be upfront about it and be transparent in its implementation. Government needs to seek the trust of Nigerians on this; we had been short-changed in the past.

    “The outright removal of subsidy will be beneficial to us; hopefully we will see this happen. But the government must commit to a transparent rendition of the accounts and savings from the removal of subsidy.

    “The announcement by the GMD, NNPC is a welcome one and the right thing to do. With COVID-19 here, we must remove the subsidy and channel that revenue to other areas, e.g. our health sector,” Nwadishi stated.

    The Director also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to treat the Petroleum Industry Bill as a matter for urgent attention in the face of the COVID-19 challenges faced by the country, and the falling oil prices.

    According to her, it was sad that for almost two decades the nation was yet discussing the Petroleum Industry Bill, and what it will do for the industry; yet, no headway.

    She stressed that since the PIB will now be presented as an executive bill, which was one of the challenges of the last bill presented as a private member bill, the President should facilitate passage of the bill.

    “The PIB to a large extent will address the issues with the structural corruption in the country. Then, the individuals that will be responsible for these structures will have to be exemplary Nigerians.

    “We should also begin to carry out urgent reforms in the petroleum sector that will make it more beneficial to our economy and the people considering that we are an oil-dependent country.

    “Therefore, we need to urgently do the following, pass the PIB, ensure the stability of the sector, deregulation of the sector, implement transparently the removal of subsidy as announced by the GMD NNPC, ensure stability of the region, speed up the review of Presidential Amnesty Program and clear the uncertainty; revisit all reports of enquires and audits in the sector and implement the recommendations therein,” she stated.

    On the urgent need to diversify the nation’s economy in real terms, Nwadishi urged the Nigerian government to focus on three sectors, namely: manufacturing, agriculture and technology, she said would yield immediate results.

    “Government should engage more vigorously and sincerely the stakeholders in the different sectors outlined,” Nwadishi stated.

  • Newly appointed FCC commissioner-designate dies 21 days after appointment

    Newly appointed FCC commissioner-designate dies 21 days after appointment

    James Kolo, a newly appointed commissioner of the Federal Character Commission, from Kwara State is dead.

    A statement from the Kwara State Government said that Kolo died Tuesday morning after “falling ill”.

    Meanwhile, Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has commiserated with the Patigi community and the All Progressives Congress’ family over the death.

    AbdulRazaq described Kolo as a loyal party man and a team player.

    “We are devastated by the death of Mr. Kolo after recently falling ill. He was a staunch party man and a bridge builder who worked hard alongside other patriots for the success of the APC in the state,” the Governor said in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye.

    “We are consoled by the fact that he was a good man who got along with everybody that crossed his path. Many knew him for being a generous person. We commiserate with his family and pray the Almighty God to comfort them and rest his gentle

  • Time to scrap the corruption ridden NDDC – Mideno Bayagbon

    By Mideno Bayagbon

    About 16 years ago, in my column in Vanguard newspapers, i called for the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, still tottering in its infancy, to be shut down. My grouse and those of many Niger Deltans then, was that the commission was becoming the centre of daylight robbery, of massive looting, of what we alarmingly thought then was unbelievable corruption. But in what has turned out almost like a joke, what we called corruption then was still in its embryonic stage, a mere disturbing whimpering of an infant, who today has metamorphosed into a blood thirsty brigand. Looking back, the corruption we wrote about then, like we say in this clime, is child’s play compared to the extensive looting in recent years.

    My senior colleague and friend, Onyeama Ugochukwu, who was then the pioneer chairman, was so shocked, and taken aback by my article that he led a full management team of the NDDC, with truck load of documents, which included bulky copies of the supposed roadmap, they were designing for the NIger Delta region, to Vanguard to defend the activities of the management team. In the confused and diffused atmosphere of that time in the NDDC, the chairman operated more as an executive chairman.

    One could see the sincerity in some of the actions and programmes of the management team headed by the Executive Chairman. Most of the programmes however, were poorly thought out leakage points. No one was in doubt that Onyeama, a former Daily Times Editor, was trying to establish a firm footprint for the then emerging commission. But he was not streetwise. His operating officers, mainly political appointees from Abuja, easily fooled him, serviced their pockets and greased some palms in Abuja who provided for them a shield.
    Complementing Chief Onyeama Ugochukwu, at the helms of the management of the commission, was a former deputy managing director of the global oil firm, Shell: Godwin Omene, a first class graduate of Imperial College, London. He was appointed the pioneer managing director.

    The appointive authorities had thought that with this calibre of men at the top of the commission, all will go well as planned in the envisaged development of the Niger Delta. This was not to be. Indeed, it turned out, not because of the incompetence of the two men, more because of their naivety, to be a very big mistake. This is because hungry politicians, Senators, Reps members, and young turks; willy political cowboys and financial scamming wizards appointed into the management of the commission, and some of their aides, soon turned the NDDC into one of the biggest bastions of corruption. Of course they soon got Onyeama and Omene into trouble, precipitating their early exits.

    Looking back, one can safely say, that those were the saner days, the golden period of the troubled organisation. The madness which descended on the commission, established on June 5, 2000, in the last ten years, has been phenomenal and mind numbing. It has become an all-comers mesh of porridge: the honey pot for federal and collaborating politicians in funding elections. It is the go to place for settlement of whoever the authorities want to do a favour with tons of billions of Naira. The two Niger Delta committees in the House of Representatives and the Senate are some of the juiciest, most sort after. To be made for life is to get appointed to the commission. No wonder every managing director, and executive director, finance and administration, soon after appointment suddenly get drunk with an insane ambition to be governors of their states. The commission’s fund are anticipatorily looted to fund these obsessions.

    Why am l going into this lengthy treatise on the NDDC today, one may ask. The answer is simple: the failure of the government to listen to mine, and other genuine calls for the NDDC to be scrapped or better focused, or restructured has led it to become one of the biggest mistakes, of all times, in the annals of Nigeria’s misgovernance debacle.

    Today, there is no pretence to either intellectual or moral quality of the appointees; or to probity. There is no pretence by either the governing authorities or the appointees, to doing anything to better the lot of the generality of the ordinary people of the poverty stricken Niger Delta region. What is at play now is how to technically satisfy the whims of the appointing authorities while feathering the inordinate ambitions of the appointees and staff of the commission, who line their pockets with billions of the Niger Delta commonwealth. With over three trillion dubious debts hanging on its head, with nothing on ground worth even ten billion Naira, the NDDC stinks to high heavens, a mistake that should have been aborted in its infancy.

    In comes the self adulating, former governor of oil rich Akwa Ibom state, Chief Godswill Akpabio. He is said to have a personal N108 billion fraud case with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC. Like a collosus, he sprang upon the commission a messianic desire to clean the augean stable that the NDDC has become. Akpabio, as we all know is a bulldozer, a man who once boasted that what money cannot achieve, more money can definitely conquer; an enigma loved and hated in equal doses. As governor, he ruled like an all-conquering warrior and to his credit, he left so many visible transformational, even if some are white elephant, development strides behind. He learnt under a humble master, the erudite radical, Obong Victor Attah. Attah it was who put the Akwa Ibom development plan in place; kick started it, built the five star Le Meridien hotel, the 18 Hole Golf Course, the Ibom Plaza, the Obong Victor Attah International Airport, (completed by Godswill Akpabio) and many other projects, not counting roads or bridges or the human capital re-engineering he performed on the psyche of Akwa Ibomites. Standing on this foundation, Akpabio, to his credit built more roads, fly overs, the e-Library, the stadium, the world class hospital, (which he refuses to use), among many other projects.

    Not a man to play second fiddle to any one, Akpabio, as soon as he was appointed Minister over the Niger Delta ministry, of which the NDDC was never a part, went to work, underground, beat two other contending groups who wanted control over the NDDC, and moved the commission from under the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, where it had traditionally been domiciled, to the ministry. He also confronted and won a second battle: making sure the new board appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari, which was sponsored by Oshiomhole and Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, never got sworn in. The board was to have been headed by Oshiomhole’s former deputy governor, Dr Pius Odubu as chairman and the former Delta state finance commissioner, Bernard Okumagba as managing director.

    Being the smart politician that he is, he moved close to the kitchen cabinet in Aso Rock, waved the massive looting and corruption in the NDDC before them and got victory over the two other groups, one led by Transportation Minister, Rotimi Amaechi and the other led by Oshiomhole and Omo-Agege. Since August 2019, Akpabio has had a full, unfettered control of the NDDC, changing the interim management committee twice. A forensic audit put in place which was to submit a report between three and six months, from the date of inauguration is still seemingly embroiled in the gargantuan pigsty.

    While they are still foraging to bring out their forensic audit report, there has recently been a huge cry, of fresh allegations, of massive looting of the NDDC. The latest Interim Management Board are being called to question over how N50 billion in the NDDC account at the beginning of this year was surreptitiously frittered away. This and another allegation of a payment of N16 billion to a company for doing nothing, it is claimed, have sparked an inquiry by the Senate. But then like Carol Ojougboh, a surviving member of the Interim Management Team, has ably reminded all, Senators, especially some in the supervising committee in the Senate are some of those fingered in the forensic audit said to be going on. Ojougboh says then the Senate probe is then a ploy to harass and hamstring the audit.
    Also, Joy Nunieh, the Godswill Akpabio appointed and sacked first interim MD, herself accused of massive aggrandisement, is also now singing a new song against her former master, Chief Godswill Akpabio. Others too, have flooded the media space with new information and are singing corruption blues which may or may not be true reflection of the goings on at the thoroughly abused and pillaged commission. Various well funded pro and con groups have suddenly sprung up beating their masters drum. And Nigerians are not deceived.

    One thing that is clear, however, is that all the contending forces for the soul of the Niger Delta Development Commission are only after their own pockets and how they will fund their newly acquired opulent lifestyle, their 2023 presidential and gubernatorial elections, amongst a legion of reasons. It has nothing to do with the development of the Niger Delta or of ridding it off corruption. We all know that nothing meaningful will come out of the forensic audit. Hence like my call 16 years ago, President Buhari, if he truly cares about corruption, should simply send a new bill to the National Assembly abrogating the NDDC. Enough is truly enough.

    Mideno Bayagbon, a former editor of Vanguard newspapers is the publisher of TheNewsGuru.com

  • NDDC: Director fires back, says blackmail won’t stop forensic audit

    NDDC: Director fires back, says blackmail won’t stop forensic audit

    Dr Cairo Ojougboh, Executive Director, Projects, Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) says no amount of blackmail will stop the commission’s ongoing forensic audit.

    He said this in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Communication, Mr Gabriel Choba, on Sunday in Abuja.

    Ojougboh was reacting to reports quoting him as saying that he would leave the All Progressives Congress (APC) come 2023, and return to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

    The NDDC director described the allegation as “pure blackmail and campaign of calumny by those opposed to the forensic audit in the commission”.

    He added that the blackmail was “from enemies who are against my rising profile in the commission and my stance toward ensuring forensic audit of past activities of the commission.

    “The rumour, blackmail and campaign of calumny is from the pit of hell, coming from those who are opposed to the forensic audit in the NDDC that I have championed.

    “Those spreading the rumour are afraid because I changed the narrative in the office of the Executive Director of Projects,” he said.

    According to him, such rumour mongers are angry because, as Executive Director of NDDC Interim Management Committee, he goes on physical inspection of projects.

    “My insistence on quality projects has created political enemies and envy. Such enemies are doing everything possible to drag me down.”

    President Muhammadu Buhari in February ordered the forensic audit of the NDDC from 2001 to 2019, to address issues bordering on irregularities.

  • [TNG X-RAY] Alleged N40bn fraud: Senate to unmask how Niger Deltans commonwealth was squandered by NDDC’s IMC

    The stage is set as the Senate armed with all the required arsenals move to probe how N40billion was lavished within ninety days by Senator Akpabio’s handpicked Interim Management Committee.
    The Senate apparently disturbed by the manner N40bn grew wings from the coffers of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC last week Tuesday constituted an adhoc investigative panel to unearth what actually transpired.
    Senator George Sekibo in a motion had unearthed the massive fraud allegedly perpetuated by the IMC which paved way for the probe.
    While making his submission the Rivers State Lawmaker emptied his points rounding up that the Senate should dig deeper into the matter to bring those involved in the looting of Niger Deltans Commonwealth to book.
    Sekibo had in the motion entitled : ” Urgent Need to Investigate Alleged Financial Recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) alleged reports from the Commission , indicate State of financial Recklessness that must be investigated and stopped .
    According to him, while President Muhamnadu Buhari set up the IMC to coordinate forensic auditing of financial transactions carried out by the now dissolved Board of the commission , reports emanating from IMC, indicate financial Recklessness on it’s part too.
    He added that aside financial Recklessness being carried out by the IMC, is also indulging in alleged arbitrary sack of the management staff of the Commission .
    He said : ” While President Buhari ‘s action of setting up an IMC and the forensic audit may have been conceived to forestall the financial Recklessness of the commission and reposition it for fast tracking of the development of the region , the IMC has been more bedevilled with the same financial misuse , misapplication , misappropriation or outright fraud in the management of the funds of the commission .
    ” Within the last three months, the commission has spent over N40billion of the commission ‘s fund without recourse to established processes of funds disbursements , which has open up further suspicion among stakeholders of the Niger Delta Region .
    ” IMC is also alleged to be arbitrarily using executive power for wrongful sacking of management staff of the commission without recourse to established civil service rules and practices .
    ” Consequently, the IMC has lost credibility and seen as a financial conduit pipe based on opinions of stakeholders in the region , which therefore urgently calls for an intervention by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to install confidence in the people for whom the commission was primarily established .
    ” In particular, Section 88 of the constitution ( as amended), has conferred on the National Assembly and in this case the Senate, to ascertain whether the sum of N40billion so appropriated and in the coffers of the commission , has been properly applied judiciously and appropriately to programmes meant for “.
    Senator Akpabio who oversees the Niger Delta Ministry and by extension the IMC has described the Senate move as an empty threat as his IMC has lived above board.
    But Niger Deltans are not particularly happy the way NDDC their Commonwealth is being managed.
    Many had expressed their anger via many communicative channels but the one that really touched the heartbeat of the matter is that of Barrister Jesutega Onokpasa calling on the National Assembly to conduct a stainless probe.
    Read him:
    News that the Senate of the Federal Republic had resolved to investigate the Interim Management Committee, IMC, of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, brought a great sigh of relief to stakeholders across the Niger Deltan region who have been dazed by the humongous degree of corruption and irregularities that have reigned over the commission ever since the illegal contraption championed by the Niger Delta Affairs Minister, Senator Godswill Akpabio, took over the interventionist agency. Hitherto, it had been a most perplexing mystery to many of us how come our national legislature and more especially its upper chamber had seemingly gone to sleep with respect to a crucial agency of government charged with the development of a potentially explosive region which also doubles as the goose that lays the golden eggs for the entire nation. Indeed, ever since Akpabio executed his extra-ministerial coup of scuttling the institution of the commission’s lawfully envisaged board that had been duly screened and confirmed by the Upper House, and instead installed his handpicked illegal IMC of wholly incredible characters, it appeared he had been afforded license to personalise the collective property of the Niger Deltan people and handed a blank cheque to deplete its resources for the benefit of himself and those through whom he keeps getting all manner of highly infuriating extra-constitutional approvals from the seat of power in far away Abuja.
    I can at this moment project that Akpabio, lacking any regard for law, due process or even for his former colleagues in the Senate, will proceed to attempt to intimidate the Senators into making a mess of the process by resorting to his broken record of very poorly-packaged recriminations that they are opposed to the much touted but never occuring forensic audit of the commission, hence they are investigating his minions! Indeed, day in, day out, his laughable IMC spares no opportunity to label anyone calling for probity and transparency in the NDDC as a contractor or corrupt individual afraid of what is already turning out to be a complete joke of a forensic audit!
    The irony pertaining to the entire circus is the fact that no serious minded Niger Deltan takes Akpabio or his cabalistic IMC seriously at all. None of its members has ever been known to be an anti-corruption crusader or champion of good governance and in fact, one of its very vocal, loquacious and most unwarrantedly bellicose members used to be a board member at NEXIM Bank where he is said to have awarded to himself a huge loan of over N750 million that has neither been serviced nor repaid till date!
    The Senate Adhoc Committee charged with the probe, which will be led by the senator representing Ekiti North, Olubunmi Adetunbi, with Senators Jika Dauda Haliru, Mohammed Tanko Almakura, Abdulfatai Buhari, Chukwuka Utazi, Ibrahim Hadeijia and Degi – Eremienyo Biobarakuma Wangaha as members, is quite credible, in my humble view. Indeed, from Senator Thompson George Sekibo, who moved the motion that led to the institution of the investigation, the leadership of the Senate and the membership of the adhoc committee, many stakeholders are hopeful of a thorough, sincere, fact-based, unsparing and untainted inquiry emanating from this particular oversight effort.

  • Senate set to unmask NDDC’s IMC over alleged lavishing of N40billion

    The Senate Tuesday resolved to carry out. a probe on alleged Financial Recklessness by the Interim Management Committee ( IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC).

    Precisely , the Senate in carrying out the probe , want the sum of N40 billion allegedly lavished by the Interim Management Committee ( IMC) of the Commission within the ninety days , to be accounted for .

    In line with the move, set up an Ad- hoc committee to be headed by Senator Olubunmi Adetunbi ( APC Ekiti North) , to look into the financial transactions carried out by IMC on behalf of the commission within the last three months and report back in four weeks .

    These were sequel to a motion promoted to that effect by Senator Thompson George Sekibo ( PDP Rivers East ) .

    Sekibo had in the motion titled : ” Urgent Need to Investigate Alleged Financial Recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) alleged reports from the Commission , indicate State of financial Recklessness that must be investigated and stopped .

    According to him, while President Muhamnadu Buhari set up the IMC to coordinate forensic auditing of financial transactions carried out by the now dissolved Board of the commission , reports emanating from IMC, indicate financial Recklessness on it’s part too.

    He added that aside financial Recklessness being carried out by the IMC, is also indulging in alleged arbitrary sack of the management staff of the Commission .

    He said : ” While President Buhari ‘s action of setting up an IMC and the forensic audit may have been conceived to forestall the financial Recklessness of the commission and reposition it for fast tracking of the development of the region , the IMC has been more bedevilled with the same financial misuse , misapplication , misappropriation or outright fraud in the management of the funds of the commission .

    ” Within the last three months, the commission has spent over N40billion of the commission ‘s fund without recourse to established processes of funds disbursements , which has open up further suspicion among stakeholders of the Niger Delta Region .

    ” IMC is also alleged to be arbitrarily using executive power for wrongful sacking of management staff of the commission without recourse to established civil service rules and practices .

    ” Consequently, the IMC has lost credibility and seen as a financial conduit pipe based on opinions of stakeholders in the region , which therefore urgently calls for an intervention by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to install confidence in the people for whom the commission was primarily established .

    ” In particular, section 88 of the constitution ( as amended), has conferred on the National Assembly and in this case the Senate, to ascertain whether the sum of N40billion so appropriated and in the coffers of the commission , has been properly applied judiciously and appropriately to programmes meant for “.

    Though during general debate on the motion , Senators Bala Ibn Na”Allah ( APC Kebbi South) and Ajibola Basiru ( APC Osun Central ) through different constitutional point of orders , tried to stop it from sailing through , but the Senate President , Ahmad Lawan ruled and many other Senators , pushed it through.

    Na’Allah and Basiru kicked against the motion on the grounds of being driven by allegations .

    But Lawan in his ruling countered by saying at the level of investigation, the veracity or otherwise of the allegations would be established .

    Members of the Ad- hoc committee are Senators Jika Dauda Haliru ( APC Bauchi Central , Mohammed Tanko Almakura ( APC Nasarawa South), Abdulfatai Buhari ( APC Oyo North ), Chukwuka Utazi ( PDP Enugu North) , Ibrahim Hadeija ( APC Jigawa North East ) and Degi – Eremienyo Biobarakuma Wangaha ( APC Bayelsa East )

  • Buhari extends tenure of NDDC Interim Management Committee

    Buhari extends tenure of NDDC Interim Management Committee

    President Muhammadu Buhari has extended the tenure of the Professor Keme Pondei-led Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) from May 1 to December 31, 2020.

    A statement signed by Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to the President (Media and Publicity) on Thursday said the extension is to cover the period of the forensic audit of the NDDC, earlier approved by the Federal Executive Council, under the chairmanship of the President.

    In the same vein, President Buhari equally approved that the NDDC provides intervention support to complement efforts of the Federal and State governments against further spread of COVID-19 in the nine States of the Niger Delta region, in the sum of Six Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty Million Naira (N6,250,000,000.00) only.

    The materials and supplies are to be done through Emergency Procurement method as provided in Sections 42(b) (c) and 43 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.

  • NDDC: Interim Mgt C’ttee orders all Directors, HODs to proceed on mandatory leave

    NDDC: Interim Mgt C’ttee orders all Directors, HODs to proceed on mandatory leave

    The Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC Interim Management Committee has ordered all directors and departmental heads to proceed on mandatory leave to enable the Commission carry out a forensic audit.

    TheNewGuru.com, (TNG) reliably gathered that the Commission in a memo signe by the acting Executive Director, Finance and Admin Chief Bassey Ibanga Etang directed all the heads to immediately vacate office.

    But a source privy to this development said the essence of asking the directors to embark on the forced leave is to enable audit outfits singlehandedly picked by the Minister,Senator Godswill Akpabio to do a shoddy work.

    “Why is the Commission sending them on leave when their inputs is required to assist the audit firms.

    “It was the Minister who appointed and discuss the payment for their services so what do we expect from the firm’s,” the source wondered.

    “We equally have it on good authority that the minister went to the various offices of the directors and allegedly removed some vital files which he took to Abuja.

    “This whole exercise is a ploy to make the audit firms follow the dictates of the Niger Delta Affairs minister and this is an abnormality, he added.
    In the memo sent to the directors and departmental heads, the instruction is that they should immediately embark on a mandatory leave.

    It was further stated in the statement that staff who have disciplinary proceedings already instituted against them or about to be instituted should proceed on mandatory leave pending the determination of such matters.

  • NDDC dismisses allegations against Akpabio, interim committee

    The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has dismissed allegations by some interest groups against the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio and the commission’s Interim Management Committee (IMC).

    NDDC Director, Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili, in a statement he released in Port Harcourt, said the attackers were mainly targeting Akpabio for driving the forensic audit of the commission ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “Our fear is that in the attempt to undermine the minister’s efforts, his traducers may unwittingly be making the Commission and its mandate, a collateral damage.

    “We are also mindful that the Interim Management Committee, made up of some of the best professional hands in the Niger Delta, should not be distracted. Some of the allegations are so outlandish that sane minds will ignore them”, Odili said.

    Odili said the allegation that the commission was spending billions on “phony water hyacinth contracts”, was not true.

    “We state that this Interim Management Committee has neither awarded nor paid a single kobo for any water hyacinth contract.

    “We also state unequivocally that this Interim Management Committee has not awarded or paid for any desilting contract”, he said.

    On the ongoing construction of the head office, he said: “The Interim Management committee is focused on completing the permanent headquarters project.

    “Work is progressing satisfactorily. As a result of this commitment, it is paying the contractor for work done and on time. But for the Corona Virus, the commission would have completed the new head office this month.

    “It beats the imagination that any person of sane mind would prefer that the Commission continues to pay rent for a temporary head office rather than complete and occupy its own”.

    On staff redeployment, Odili said interim committee was determined to change the narrative of the commission and its mandate.

    He said: “This involves reforming the commission, its processes and values. As part of the drive, the IMC has redeployed directors and other staff to new beats for operational efficiency.

    “This redeployment was carefully done to put square pegs in square holes and also reinvigorate the team by challenging the staff to confront the challenges facing the Commission. To allude any ulterior motive to an exercise of such altruistic value it to stretch mischief too far.

    “We wish to add that the Niger Delta Development Commission exists for the good of the region. It is a great disservice to its people for a few selfish elite to go on the attack every time their attempt to corner the resources of the commission is challenged.

    “The forensic audit ordered by the President Muhammadu Buhari, which Senator Akpabio is pursuing with his uncommon passion, is for the good of all stakeholders.

    “The greatest tragedy would be for a few elite to truncate the good intentions of the Federal Government because their access to the commonwealth is being threatened. We plead with them to allow the Interim Management Committee to do its work.”