Decries Commission’s 362 bank accounts
President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a criminal investigation into an approximated six trillion naira given to the Niger Delta Development Commission, (NDDC), since 2001.
Recall that the President had ordered for a holistic forensic audit of the activities of the Commission from inception to August 2019, in response to the yearnings of the people of the Niger Delta region to reposition it for effective service delivery.
Buhari gave this order yesterday in Abuja, after receiving the final forensic audit report from the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio.
According to the President, who was represented by the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) Abubakar Malami, the forensic audit report will be forwarded to the Federal Ministry of Justice for a legal review and relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, (MDAs) of government will be engaged in doing justice to the findings accordingly.
Buhari disclosed that It is on record that between 2001 and 2019, the federal government has approved over three trillion naira as budgetary and over two trillion naira as income from Statutory and non-Statutory Sources, which brings the total sum to six trillion naira given to the Commission.
He said it was also on record that the execution of over 13, 777 projects in the oil-rich region was substantially compromised.
The President noted that the Federal government is also concerned about multitudes of Niger Delta Development Commissions bank accounts amounting to 362 and lack of proper reconciliation of accounts.
He stated that the call for the audit by the people of the Niger-Delta region arose from the huge gaps between resources invested in the region vis-a-vis the huge gap in infrastructural, human and economic development.
Buhari said he was not oblivious of the interest generated by stakeholders towards the forensic audit exercise and the agitation for the constitution of the Board of the NDDC.
According to him, the report on the forensic audit of the Commission and recommendations will be critically analysed for necessary action and implementation.
Earlier in his remarks, the Senator disclosed that the auditors have concluded the examination and documentation of a total of 13,777 contracts for projects and programmes awarded to Contractors and consultants in all Niger Delta States from 2001-August 2019, at a total final contract value of N3,274.206,032,213.24.
According to Akpabio, the name and identity of a vast number of beneficiary companies were also captured as well.
The Minister disclosed that the auditors also focused on funding gaps, Irregularities, mismanagements and Due Proces Violations/Conflicts of interest.
