A Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), Social Action in the Niger Delta has raised the alarm over the delay in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) forensic audit report ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari last year.
The President in receiving the report had made specific declaration and vowed that no one fingered in the report would go scot free.
At a programme, Beyond Forensic Audit with the theme, ‘Repositioning the NDDC for Inclusive and Effective Service Delivery’ in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the Director of Social and MobiliSation, Social Action, Vivian Beleonwu said 20 years after the establishment of NDDC, the Commission had failed in its mandate, especially as it relates to economic, social development, job creation and human capital development, as well as poverty reduction, rather the Agency has been an avenue to fund the political class in election and fraud which prompted the President to order for the forensic audit.
She said in the forensic audit report that over 12 thousand projects have been abandoned in the region with over trillions of naira unaccounted for, the reason of which Civil Society Organisations and community stakeholders are calling on President Buhari to make his promise by prosecuting those behind the looted fund by way of refund or punish for the crime committed, saying this delay is dangerous.
In his goodwill message, the Chairman of the Economic Financial Crime Commission (EFCC), Abdurasheed Bawa called for effective collaboration effort between the anti-graft Agency and the community stakeholders to fight corruption.
The EFCC Chairman, who was represented by Dele Oyewole, explained that without proper engagement, inclusiveness and timely release of information by the people, the Agency cannot do more as expected, as there are channels of reporting fraud cases online without any identification.
The Independent Corrupt Practice and other related offences Commission (ICPC) said it was ready to collaborate with EFCC to fight corruption headlong in Nigeria, while calling on citizens to partner with them.
In his remark, the Book Reviewer, Osasu Isibor expressed concern over the delay in the report, but noted that one of the outcomes of the audit was to show the many years of resources that have wasted by the people of Niger Delta. Isibor, who is also the national organising secretary of host communities of Nigeria oil and gas producing areas, lamented the outright rape of NDDC and the abuse of the trust of the people.
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He maintained that job racketeering, loyalty to paymasters, godfatherism, and political patronage, as well as influence by the Senators are part of the issues the bedeviled the NDDC.
Some of the community stakeholders call on the Federal Government to take action and publish the names and companies that looted NDDC, prosecute them, imprison them and recover all these trillions to serve as deterrent to others, while banning them from holding any political office for 30 years and also place them on travel ban.
Highlight of the event was the presentation by the DG, Bureau of Public Procurement, represented by Adebowale Adedukun and Panel of Discussants and the unveiling of the report ‘Pond of Crocodiles’ a field report in Niger Delta communities with NDDC projects.
