Fresh crisis erupted yesterday between the national assembly lawmakers and the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) due to the latter’s failure to explain the missing N143 billion, being part of N305.5 billion released to the agency in the 2019 budget.
The Interim Management Committee of the NDDC, led by the managing director, Prof Daniel Pondei, had appeared before the joint committee of the national assembly to defend the agency’s 2019 budget performance and the proposals for the 2020 fiscal year.
Trouble started when the committee queried the balance of N40 billion in the agency’s 2019 budget, which was carried forward to 2020.
While presenting the 2019 budget expenditure before the committee, Pondei told the lawmakers that NDDC received N305.5b in 2019 and spent N122b from leaving a balance of N183.2b.
Pondei stated that in compliance with provisions of the 2019 Appropriation Act, the NDDC implemented the 2019 capital budget till May 31.
“On expenditure, implementation of the 2019 budget was hindered by delays in its approval and release coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic. Only recurrent expenditure, which runs from January 1 to December 31, 2019, was implemented substantially,” Pondei explained.
But the chairman, House of Representatives’ Committee on NDDC, Mr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, pointed out that there were discrepancies in the process, adding that a shortfall of N143billion had arisen.
The commission is expected to bring forward a balance of N183.2b in the 2020 budget proposal.
But, the report submitted to the committee showed that only N40 billion was brought forward.
When chairman, House Committee on Niger Delta queried Pondei on the discrepancies, he (Pondei) requested for withdraw of the 2019 budget details to address discrepancies of N143 billion raised by Tuniji-Ojo.
The lawmakers were, however, angry when Pondei asked for withdrawal of the 2019 budget review for representation.
The chairman, senate committee on NDDC, Mr. Peter Nwaboshi, granted Pondei’s request and adjourned the budget presentation till Tuesday, July 21.
He explained that of the N305.5 billion released for the NDDC in the 2019 budget, it spent N122.3 billion and the balance ought to have been N183b, but the NDDC brought forward only N40 billion leaving out N143 billion.
