James Kwen, Abuja
The House of Representatives has summoned all former Managing Directors of the Niger Delta Commission, NDDC, particularly Nsima Ekere and Timi Alaibe as well as Executive Directors of Finance of the Commission to appear before it on Friday.
Chairman, House ad-hoc Committee investigating abandoned projects in the Niger Delta region, Nicholas Ossai (PDP-Delta) at an investigative public hearing in Abuja also mandated the management of NDDC provide statements of account and all other relevant document on the concerned projects to the Committee on or before Friday.
Osai queried NDDC Acting Managing Director, Enyia Akwagaga and other management team of the Commission for their involvement in a N61.4 billion contract awarded by it without completion.
He noted that a report from the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation to the Committee reveal that N70.4 billion was paid to 1723 contractors by the agency and they abandoned the projects.
Responding to some of the concerns, Akwagaga said there were a total of 9820 awarded projects and 4,288 were completed and 1,786 were yet to start, adding that a total of 342 stalled projects of which 30 had been taken over while 49 projects had been terminated.
The Acting Managing Director who revealed that a total of N2.8 trillion was approved for NDDC in the budget but only N1.8 trillion was released, said there is an outstanding funding gap of N983 billion based on approved annual budget and a gap of N1.3 trillion based on amount payable to NDDC.
While noting that there is unremitted funds due NDDC through Ecological Fund of N60.2 billion, Akwagaga said, “we very humbly request for the backing of this honourable Committee, the House of Representatives and the National Assembly, at large.
“In particular, we ask for your help in the recovery of all payments due from the Federal Government, as well as oil and gas companies operating in the Niger Delta region, in accordance with the NDDC Act.
