Following the ongoing probe into the reckless spending of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), more revelations have emerged. Apparently, Ke
Following the ongoing probe into the reckless spending of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), more revelations have emerged. Apparently, Kemebradikumo Pondei, the acting MD of the commission was allegedly coerced to pay for contracts to get budget approval.
The commission’s acting MD revealed that the NDDC was allegedly coerced to pay for contracts by the National Assembly before its 2019 budget was approved. Pondei also alleged that over the years, some lawmakers especially adhoc committee members held the commission hostage with the budget approval.
The statement signed by Pondei’s special adviser on media, Edgar Ebigoni gave a detailed list of the contracts which the National Assembly allegedly compelled the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the commission to pay before having its budget approved. According to Pondei, the contracts which they were reportedly strong-armed to pay were mostly never done or sometimes, never completed.
He said: “This blackmail scheme explains why the 2019 Budget of the NDDC was passed by the NASS Committee in March, 2020. We are talking about a budget that was billed to expire in May, 2020. This implication is that the management of the NDDC had only five weeks, to implement the budget of one fiscal year, and present a performance report on the same budget.”
TheNation
