The Nigerian senate has asked the interim management committee of the
Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to refund N4.9 billion,
raising serious questions about the forensic audits.
In May, the upper legislative chamber set up a probe panel chaired by
Olubunmi Adetunmbi, senator representing Ekiti north, following
allegations that the commission mismanaged N40 billion.
At the hearing, Kemebradikumo Pondei, acting managing director of the
commission, said no money was missing and that since he assumed office
in February, the interim committee has been paying contractors owed for
years.
Pondei also defended the N3.14 billion his management committee
disbursed to its 4,000 workers and police commands in nine states as
COVID-19 relief.
While presenting his report on the floor of the senate on Thursday,
Adetunmbi said although his panel did not gather enough information on
the ongoing forensic audit at the commission, there are indications that
it is “substandard and compromised.”
President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered a forensic audit of the
commission from 2001 to 2019.
Contributing to the debate on the report, Yahaya Oloriegbe, senator
representing Kwara central, said: “It is sad that this is happening and
nothing urgent is being done to stop it. It is obvious corruption.”
The upper legislative chamber approved a recommendation that the
commission should report directly to the presidency and not the
ministry.
“Absence of board created a lacuna of oversight the Ministry of Niger
Delta Affairs could not fill and that affected the operations of the
commission. There is a need to set up a board,” the recommendations
read.
“There is a need for improvement on the governance process of the
commission. Oversight of the forensic audit should be transferred to the
office of the office of the auditor general of the federation to ensure
transparency. FG should appoint a renowned auditor to supervise this
forensic audit.
“For all unjustifiable payments made to staff, they should be made to
refund the monies especially the N4.9 billion for COVID-19 relief and
others. There is a need to review corporate social responsibility of the
NDDC.”
The senate also directed its committee on ethics to probe claims made by
Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs, that members of the
national assembly got contracts awarded by NDDC.
After the recommendations were approved, Senate President Ahmad Lawan
asked the executive to consider the reports of the probes by the senate
and house of representatives on the NDDC.