The Senate has insisted on furthering its probe of the alleged N40billion fraud at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) despite moves being made by the agency to stop the investigation.
The Interim Management Committee of the NDDC had accused the National Assembly of “padding the commission’s 2019 budget with over 500 projects and raping the destiny of the Niger Delta people.”
The Acting Managing Director of the IMC, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, who made the allegation, said the planned probe of the agency by the legislators “is merely intended to make a mockery of the forensic audit ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.”
Reacting to the allegations, the Chairman of the House Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, said the senate insistence on probing the NDDC was why the IMC made the allegations against the National Assembly
He challenged the NDDC to publish all records of alleged multiple contracts to Senators and invite the EFCC to investigate allegations of financial misdeeds.
“We are responding to the allegations of the IMC to correct the misrepresentation. If they claim that some 1,000 jobs were given to any Senator, we challenge the IMC members to compile the list of these contracts and publish them.
Also, the EFCC, Police or ICPC should be reached to investigate those claims instead of blackmailing anybody.”
While insisting on probing the financial transactions in the IMC, Nwaoboshi, said: “What we are seeing is a case of a man sent to catch the thief but instead of catching the thief, he starts stealing too. The National Assembly simply set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate allegations of stealing by the NDDC IMC. Why not allow the Adhoc-committee conclude the investigation?” he queried.
According to him, the allegations of balkanisation of budget just came because the IMC members were asked to appear before the Ad-hoc committee to answer questions
“The National Assembly has the right to appropriate and carry out oversight functions on the Niger Delta Ministry, and the NDDC. So, no amount of intimidation or blackmail will stop us”.
