• Friday, March 29, 2024
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Senate asks Buhari to sack NDDC interim management

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Nigeria’s Senate on Thursday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack the Kemebradikumo Pondei-led Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) over alleged financial malfeasance.

The upper chamber also called on the current IMC to refund the N4.923 billion it paid to staff and contractors in breach of the procurement process and approvals.

These resolutions were sequel to the consideration and adoption of the recommendations of Senate Ad hoc Committee on the investigation of the alleged financial recklessness in the NDDC.

Presenting the report, Chairman of the Ad hoc Committee, Olubunmi Adetunmbi (Ekiti North) said the Committee noted that it is difficult to find a correlation between Niger Delta community development and cash invested in the zone.

“Continued cash injection in the Niger Delta challenge issue has not worked under the various IMCs,” Adetunmbi said.

“It may be useful at this juncture for the government to intervene by stepping down the EIMC (Executive Interim Management Committee), thereby helping them leave the stage for a properly constituted board with specific mandate to address the pains of the Niger Delta people,” he said.

According to the report, the monies to be refunded by the IMC include cost for overseas travel to the United Kingdom in the sum of N85.7 million, Scholarships Grants – N105.5 million; Union Members’ trip to Italy – N164.2 million; Lassa Fever Kit – N1.96 billon; Public Communication – N1.2 billion; and COVID-19 Relief – N1.49 billon.

Also, the Nigeria Police is to refund the sum of N475 million said to have been given to it by the IMC as COVID-19 palliative to purchase personal protective equipment and hand sanitisers.

In his remarks, Senate President Ahmad Lawan lamented that the resources of the NDDC have been pillaged by those appointed to manage them over the years.

“Almost all throughout this period, those that he really been given the responsibility to manage the resources of the NDDC and for the people of the Niger Delta have squandered the resources leaving the region poor and in a very difficult situation,” Lawan said.

“It is our opinion in the National Assembly, particularly in the 9th Senate that this report has exposed the inefficiencies, the kind of corruption in the NDDC and in fact, the need to strengthen that organisation.

“I want to agree completely that we should look at the Act establishing the Commission. Where are the lacunas or the inadequacies? We are on the same page on this that the outcome of the investigation by the National Assembly, from both chambers, will be considered by the executive arm of government in order to bring sanity in the NDDC and relief to people of the Niger Delta,” he said.