Probe of NDDC’s IMC: Senate Inaugurates Ad- Hoc Committee

PRESIDENT of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan on Tuesday inaugurated the ad-hoc Committee that is probing into alleged Financial Recklessness to the tune of N40 billion by the Interim Management Committee, IMC of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Speaking while inaugurating the Six-member Ad-hoc Committee, Lawan said that the investigation is designed to complement the ongoing forensic audit which was ordered by the Federal government. The President of the Senate said, “We are in total support of the President’s directive for the forensic audit of the finances of the NDDC, and this is, in some way, complementary to that directive.”

Lawan who noted that the investigation would avail the management of the Commission an opportunity to defend the allegations against it, said, “we have no predetermined position on the outcome of this investigation as an institution. Issues raised are allegations, therefore the NDDC has the opportunity to come forward and defend its position. “But we have a mindset and our mindset in the Senate is that we have to have a Niger Delta Development Commission that is effective and efficient in service delivery to the people of Niger Delta.

This is the essence of setting up that Commission. “So we want to see a situation where the very limited resources that are appropriated for the Niger Delta Development Commission are prudently and transparently deployed for the development of the Niger Delta region. This is our mindset and we will not shy away from our responsibility at any time we feel a sense that that is not happening.” Recall that the Senate on Tuesday last week began a probe into alleged Financial Recklessness to the tune of N40 billion by the IMC of the NDDC by setting up a Six- Member Ad-hoc Committee to carry out a holistic investigation on all issues relating to but not limited to the alleged misapplication and misappropriation of the sum of N4OBillion by the commission.

The Ad-hoc Committee which has Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, All Progressives Congress, APC, Ekiti North as Chairman, has Senators Jika Dauda Haliru, APC Bauchi Central; Mohammed Tanko Almakura, APC Nasarawa South; Abdulfatai Buhari; APC Oyo North; Chukwuka Utazi, PDP, Enugu North, Ibrahim Hadeija, APC Jigawa North East and Degi – Eremienyo Biobarakuma Wangaha, APC Bayelsa East. Speaking further, the Senate President said that the NDDC, as a pioneer intervention agency in the country, should take the lead on how its intervention could be effective, efficient, and meet the yearnings of the people.

He expressed hope that, at the end of the investigation, the NDDC and the Senate will continue to work together to ensure efficient and effective service delivery to the people of the Niger Delta. In his remarks, chairman of the Adhoc Committee, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi described the allegations that necessitated the setting up of the committee as “numerous and weighty as it involved misapplication and misappropriation of N40 billion” among others. The Senator who assured the Senate leadership of the committee’s resolve to be open-minded, said, “It is not an exercise aimed at witch-hunting of any individual, groups or institutions, but rather to get at the root of the matter for the overall good of the nation.” Vanguard