Niger Delta Group Warns Warns on NDDC Forensic Audit

John ODHE, Yenagoa

A Niger Delta activist group, Excellent Leadership Foundation, has accused the National Assembly of arm-twisting the interim management committee from carrying out the Forensic Audit on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari.

National Coordinator of the group, Chief lzzi Yakiah said the interim management committee of the NDDC had not awarded any contract except Covid-19 intervention fund approved by President Buhari, adding that the Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei led committee evenly distributed funds and palliatives to all the nine states that made up the region.

Speaking at a news conference in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa state, Yakiah noted that the national assembly was not sincere, thorough and operate due diligence in discharging their oversight function, adding that “the ordered forensic audit of the commission will possibly indict past administrators and notable politicians, and some present Senators who have eaten fat on the commission.

“Niger Delta people should look inward and discourage the apex legislative arm committees on NDDC headed by Peter Nwaboashi, and Olubumi Tunji-Ojo from the continued blackmail of Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei interim management committee and advised to channel their legislative oversight functions towards the North-East Development Commission which has been operating without any distraction since it was established.”

Yakiah noted that the Pondei led commission had effectively collaborated with the Senator Godswill Akpabio led Niger Delta Affairs ministry, which has led to the timely completion of 89 percent of the Commission’s National Secretariat in Port-Harcourt, an edifice he said was abandoned for 23 years.

He advised Niger Deltans to desist from the culture of pull-him-down syndrome against its leaders as well as key government parastatals that were set-up to enhance human capacity in ending the long sufferings of Niger Delta people.