- Says Senate Probe Of NDDC To Complement FG’s Forensic Audit
President of the Nigerian Senate, Ahmad Lawan has inaugurated a seven-man Ad-hoc Committee to probe into the sundry allegations of financial mismanagement at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), noting that the investigation being carried out by the Senate into the finances of the NDDC is to complement the ongoing forensic audit which was ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The investigation, he said, would avail the management of the Commission an opportunity to defend the allegations against it.
Recall on Thursday, The New Diplomat exclusively revealed the details of an audit report by the Auditor-General of the Federation (AGF) revealing that the N16.2bn worth contract
purportedly awarded to RODNAB Construction Ltd by the NDDC was done illegally and without authorization.
The Office of the AGF consequently asked the NDDC to compel Messrs RODNAB to refund the allegedly unauthorized incremental payment of N16.2 bn to the treasury, and tender “recovery particulars to my office(AGF) for verification and confirmation.”
While inaugurating a Seven-man Ad-hoc Committee on alleged financial recklessness in the NDDC, Lawan said on Tuesday that the Nigerian Senate will be giving its full backing to the forensic audit of NDDC’s finances as pronounced by the President.
“We are in total support of the President’s directive for the forensic audit of the finances of the NDDC, and this is, in some way, complimentary to that directive,” he said.
“But we have a mindset and our mindset in the Senate is that we have to have a Niger Delta Development Commission that is effective and efficient in service delivery to the people of Niger Delta. This is the essence of setting up that Commission.
Lawan said, “we have no predetermined position on the outcome of this investigation as an institution. Issues raised are allegations, therefore the NDDC has the opportunity to come forward and defend its position.
“So we want to see a situation where the very limited resources that are appropriated for the Niger Delta Development Commission are prudently and transparently deployed for the development of the Niger Delta region.“This is our mindset and we will not shy away from our responsibility at anytime we feel a sense that that is not happening.”
The Senate President said the NDDC, as a pioneer intervention agency in the country, should take the lead on how its intervention could be effective, efficient and meet the yearnings of the people.
He expressed the hope that, at the end of the investigation, the NDDC and the Senate will continue to work together to ensure an efficient and effective service delivery to the people of the Niger Delta.
In his remarks, Chairman of the ad-hoc committee, Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi described the allegations that necessitated the setting up of the committee as “numerous and weighty as it involved misapplication and misappropriation of N40 billion” among others.
He assured the Senate leadership of the committee’s resolve to be open minded.
“It is not an exercise aimed at witch-hunting of any individual, groups or institutions, but rather to get at the root of the matter for the overall good of the nation,” Senator Adetumbi said
Other members of the Committee are Senator Hassan Hadejia, Senator Dauda Jika, Senator Umar Al-Makura, Senator Barinada Mpigi, Senator Abdulfatai Buhari and Senator Chukwuka Utazi.
