STINK, LOOTING IN NDDC: PDP Calls For immediate Investigation.

“The NDDC, under the current management, has become an automated teller machine (ATM) for corrupt individuals and their cronies, a development that has completely crippled the commission from delivering on its mandate to the people of the region”….. Kola Ologbondiyan.

“It is more disheartening to note that such humongous looting, manipulations and concealments are going on in a commission like the NDDC under an administration that claims to have zero tolerance for corruption”.

The controversies, mismanagement and allegations of high scale looting of resources in the Niger Delta Development Commission has again drawn the management of the agency into public glare.

Recent developments in the oil rich agency has seen the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) calling for an immediate system-wide investigation into revelations of fraud, stealing and looting of funds at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) under the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led administration.

In a widely circulated press statement issued by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party lamented that the NDDC, under the current management, has become an automated teller machine (ATM) for corrupt individuals and their cronies, a development that has completely crippled the commission from delivering on its mandate to the people of the region.

According the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, “the public space is already awash with allegations of looting of billions of naira NDDC funds, meant for the development of the area through shady contracts, diversion of funds and sleazy procurement deals by officials, in a manner akin to earlier exposed looting in the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS)”.

In the statement, the party expressed worries that the NDDC management has not been able to give cogent explanation to the reported Lassa fever contract fraud through which over N4 billion-naira NDDC fund was allegedly, frittered on hazy procurement deals.

Ologbondiyan in his statement, said; “This is in addition to flimsy denials on the alleged attempt by certain interests, to fraudulently funnel N5.5 billion out of NDDC coffers under the guise of procuring kits for the COVID-19 pandemic. A development which also trails reports that, the NDDC had already spent over N1.045 billion purportedly, for supply of kits and palliatives to Nigerians in nine states”.

“The PDP however rejects the attempt by the NDDC management to divert attention from the issues at stake, particularly by alluding to faceless detractors while at the same time opting for internal investigation on the N5.5 billion COVID-19 contract allegation, instead of referring the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)”, the statement read.

“Such resort to internal investigation only points to a desperate attempt at concealment, which in turn validates allegations of complicity at very high level”.

“It is more disheartening to note that such humongous looting, manipulations and concealments are going on in a commission like the NDDC under an administration that claims to have zero tolerance for corruption”, he said.

The party chieftain therefore, called on Nigerians to observe that top officials appointed by President Buhari to oversee the NDDC include individuals with corruption charges from their previous public assignments including as state governors.

“Our party therefore urges the National Assembly to commence an investigation into the books of the NDDC under the present management, recover the looted funds and channel the money to the projects meant for the wellbeing of Nigerians as contained in the budget of the commission”, Ologbondiyan concluded.