The House of Representatives Wednesday discovered that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has spent N81.5 billion on frivolous things from January to May this year.
Chairman, House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission, Olubumi Tunji-ojo who disclosed this at the investigative hearing on alleged Financial Malfeasance in the the NDDC said the discovery was made after going through books submitted by both the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and Auditor General of the Federation (OAGF).
Tunji-ojo gave breakdown of the expenditure as follows: Community relations -N1.3 billion, Condolences- N122.9 million, Consultancy: N83 million, Covid-19- N3.14 billion, DTA (Duty Travel Allowance)- N486 million Impress- N790.9 million and Lasser fever- N1.956 billion.
Others are: Legal Services- N900 million, Maintenance- N220 million, Overseas travel- N85.6 million, Project Public Communication- N1.121 billion, Security- N744 million, Staffing related payment- N8.8 billion, Stakeholders engagement (February 18- May 31, 2020 N248 million.
He frowned at the non submission of financial reports by NDDC and the frivolous expenditure of funds running into billions of naira without developmental benefits to the people of the Niger Delta region.
“The forensic audit ordered by Mr. President in NDDC must have been premised on these critical questions, perhaps the unremitting cry of the people in the region and the need to see maximum value for successive allocations. That underscores the reason this House rightly recognised the need to appropriate fund for the exercise when the Commission failed to reflect this in the its 2019 budget estimates.
“The all important audit is believed to be ongoing, albeit must be without needless controversies and disconnecting allegations of corruption, hence, the need for us as a Committee to be thorough, patriotic, and unbiased in the national call to duty”, he said.
The lawmaker faulted CBN, Accountant-General of the Federation and the Auditor-General of the Federation for allegedly approving the spending of N81.5 billion on audit of the agency during the period under review.
