Amid an imminent commencement of a probe into a N40 billion corruption allegation leveled against the Interim Management Committee, IMC of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC by the National Assembly has triggered concerns about the sudden death of the Executive Director, Finance, Chief Ibanga Bassey Enang earlier Thursday.
The death reportedly compelled the Commission to shut down its operational headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State for two weeks.
According to an internal memo dated 28th May 2020 with reference no: NDDC/HO/HAHR/3 signed by one Silas Anyawu on behalf of the management of the NDDC and obtained by The New Diplomat, the Commission directed all Directors, Head of Departments/ Units and indeed, all staff to vacate the complex with immediate effect, they were also ordered to go into self-isolation for two weeks while the premises would be decontaminated.
The memo which copied the Acting Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Prof. Keme Daniel Pondei, and Cairo Ojougboh, Acting Executive Director, Projects was quite explicit on the fact that staff of the commission were being directed to undergo two-weeks self isolation protocols that are consistent with COVID-19 procedural rules.
No official reason was stated for the shutdown as at the time of filing this report. However, there seems to be some alleged connection with the COVID-19 pandemic hence the NDDC called for fumigation of its premises and offices.
The statement reads in part: “I am directed to inform all staff that management has approved that the Commission be shut down for two weeks from today 28th May, 2020. Consequently, all activities in the Commission including ongoing matters are hereby shut down for the time being
“Members of staff are to ensure that all electrical appliances in their offices are switched off before leaving the premises.
“The Head Security is by this memo directed to work out modalities to ensure the safety and security of the Commission while Director, Administration is requested to fumigate and decontaminate the entire offices in the Headquarters during the period.
“Meanwhile staff are enjoined to go into self-isolation for two weeks as they await further directive from management”.
Recall that Mr Ibanga Bassey Enang who was appointed alongside two others on the 18th of December 2019 by President Muhammadu Buhari into the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC died early on Thursday.
The IMC has been in the news lately over allegations of financial impropriety to the tune of N40 billion allegedly expended without procedural authorization and due process.
Recall that Senator Thompson George Sekibo (PDP Rivers East) had in a motion titled: “Urgent Need to Investigate Alleged Financial Recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)” alleged that the IMC was embroiled in massive corruption.
Consequently, the Senate set up an Ad-hoc committee headed by Senator Olubunmi Adetunbi (APC Ekiti North), to look into the financial transactions carried out by IMC on behalf of the commission within the last three months and report back to the Senate within four weeks.
Recall also that President Buhari had set up the IMC to coordinate forensic auditing of financial transactions carried out by the now-dissolved Board of the commission. However, a lot of coalitions and sundry groups have called for the scrapping of the IMC sayings its establishment is in contravention of the NDDC Act, stressing that an inaugurated NDDC board is best placed to supervise the designated forensic audit.
