NDDC: Buhari told to freeze Commission’s account over alleged spending spree, plot to loot

Forum 3 years ago

NDDC: Buhari told to freeze Commission’s account over alleged spending spree, plot to loot

A group known as the Act for Positive Transformation Initiative, has called on President Muhammad u Buhari, National Assembly, anti-graft agencies to immediately freeze the bank accounts of the Nigerian Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

The group stated that such measures would put an end to the looting so far witnessed in the commission.

Kolawole Johnson, the group’s Head of Directorate of Research, Strategy and Programme, raised the alarm, while alleging plot by the commission to make secret payments this week.

In a statement, Johnson said despite the alarms of fraud raised, the alleged spending spree at the NDDC has continued unabated.

According to Johnson: “In the last nine months, over 28 professionals have volunteered their time, energy, skills and resources to expose the monumental corruption enduring at the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC). While it is discouraging to suspect that government’s body language appears to be promoting, rewarding and protecting corruption in this case, recent development, notwithstanding, shows truth is gradually prevailing. Today, again, we inform the Government and all relevant stakeholders, that, we have uncovered another plan by the commission to make some fraudulent secret payments this week that will further set the commission aback. This same alarm was raised in June, 2020 via a letter to the leadership of the National Assembly that was made public, about 20 Billion Naira was carted away barely one month thereafter (as at July 28th), including payments on desilting against the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari, largely due to poor response to the alarm raised. The details were given in our letter to the President on August 5th, which was released as a briefing for that month.

The commission has gone ahead to squander additional 9 Billion Naira thereafter, in the last one month. This includes reckless spendthrift of 5.8 Billion Naira on fraudulent emergency desilting on the 29th of July, 2020, alone when the nation was on holiday. They were so in a hurry that they moved out same amount purportedly for different locations and different scopes of job. i.e Emergency clearing and desilting of Ipinle Ajenrela creek, Igbokoda (lot 3) –N634,761,500.00 (Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), Emergency clearing and desilting of Akaibiri creek, Yenagoa – 634,761,500.00 ( Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), Emergency clearing and desilting of Ilar Creek, Igbokoda (lot 2) – 634,761,500.00 ( Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), Emergency clearing and desilting of Temetan Creek, Igbokoda (Lot 1) – 634,761,500.00 ( Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira).

Others include: Emergency clearing and distilling of blocked canal from Ilaje High School Naval Base fishing Terminal, Igbokoda (Lot1) – 634,761,500.00 ( Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), Emergency clearing and desilting of Yewa Creek, Okitipupa (Lot1) – 634,761,500.00 (Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira), Emergency clearing and desilting of Ipinle Koforawe Creek, Igbokoda (lot 2) –N634,761,500.00 (Six Hundred and Thirty-Four Million, Seven Hundred and Sixty One Thousand, Five Hundred Thousand Naira). Then the last on the roll on that same day, Urgent clear desilting of blocked sections of Ibelebiri waterways, Ogbia (lot 2) – 739,071,500.00 (Seven Hundred and Thirty-Nine Million, Seventy-One Thousand and Five Hundred Naira). Details of all the companies that served as conduit for these payments are readily available. The movement of same disbursements was also not out of traces.