The senate and House of Representatives yesterday resolved to investigate how the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) allegedly spent N40 billion within three months.
The senate set up an ad hoc committee presided over by Senator Olubunmi Adetunbi (APC, Ekiti North) to look into financial transactions carried out by the IMC on behalf of the commission within the period and present a report in four weeks.
This followed a motion sponsored by Senator Thompson George Sekibo (PDP, Rivers East), titled: ‘Urgent Need to Investigate Alleged Financial Recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)’.
Sekibo said although President Muhammadu Buhari set up the IMC to oversee a forensic audit of financial transactions carried out by the now-dissolved board of the commission, reports indicate the committee may have questions to answer. He also said the committee was indulging in the alleged arbitrary sacking of the commission’s management staff.
“While President Buhari’s action of setting up an IMC and the forensic audit might have been conceived to forestall the financial recklessness of the commission and reposition it for fast-tracking the development of the region, the IMC has been more bedevilled with the same financial misuse, misapplication, misappropriation or outright fraud in the management of the commission’s funds.
“Within the last three months, the commission has spent over N40 billion of the commission’s fund without recourse to established processes of funds disbursements, which has opened up further suspicion among stakeholders of the Niger Delta region.
“Consequently, the IMC has lost credibility and is seen as a financial conduit based on the opinions of stakeholders in the region. This therefore urgently calls for an intervention by the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, to instil confidence in the people for whom the commission was primarily established,” he said.
He further said Section 88 of the Constitution (as amended) confers on the national assembly the power “to ascertain whether the sum of N40billion, appropriated and in the coffers of the commission”, has been “judiciously and appropriately” expended.
While the senate raised a seven-member ad-hoc committee to look into the allegation, the House of Representatives summoned the minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Godswill Akpabio, and the IMC to explain to the House the plan of the commission to ameliorate the effect of the present economic situation on the region.
After debating a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Navy, Senator Thompson Sekibo, the Senate passed a resolution to investigate the allegations on how the IMC spent N40 billion within three months.
The ad-hoc the committee, headed by Senator Olubunmi Adetunbi, was given a month to look into the financial transactions and report back to the Senate.
Members of the committee are 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 (APC Bayelsa East).
The Senate also directed its Committee on Niger Delta Affairs, headed by Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, to within one month investigate the appropriateness of the alleged arbitrary sack of the management staff of NDDC.
Sekibo, in the motion entitled “urgent need to investigate alleged financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission,” alleged that reports from the commission revealed financial recklessness which must be halted and investigated.
In their contributions, Senators Bala Ibn Na’Allah (APC, Kebbi South) and Ajibola Basiru (APC, Osun Central) raised different constitutional points of order to stop the motion.
They contended that the motion driven by mere allegations.
However, the senate president, Mr. Ahmad Lawan, ruled in favour, stressing that the veracity or otherwise of the allegations would be established during the investigation.
Subsequently, the lawmakers set up an ad hoc committee made up of 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) to look into the matter.
Similarly, the House of Representatives directed its committee on NDDC to investigate all procurements and financial transactions of the commission for this fiscal year to ascertain compliance with relevant provisions of the law.
The committee was also mandated to investigate adherence to the Act setting up the commission, in the layoff and engagement of key management personnel.
This was sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion, titled, ‘Need to Investigate the Alleged Financial Malfeasance and Other Activities in the Niger Delta Development Commission,’ sponsored by Mr. Peter Akpatason.
While presenting the motion, Akpatason raised the alarm on claims that the commission had spent over N40 billion without a corresponding effect on the region.
He said 70 per cent of the funds were allegedly spent on emergency projects and completion of the commission’s headquarters building, without due regard to fiscal governance as encapsulated in the Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2007 and other extant financial regulations.
The lawmaker added that a contract was allegedly awarded for the supply of Hilux vehicles and medical consumables to the tune of N4.8 billion in clear breach of sections 19, 25, 41, and 42 of the Public Procurement Act, 2007.
Akpatason expressed concern that the forensic audit for which the IMC was set up to conduct is most likely to become a conduit for forensic looting.
He added that the trend if not arrested would worsen an already pathetic situation in the Niger Delta region post-COVID-19.
