Reps grill NDDC boss over extra-budgetary spending

The House of Representatives Committee on Public Accounts, on Monday, grilled the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission,  Pondei Kemerbrandikumo, over the alleged N90.4bn extra-budgetary expenditure by the commission from 2009 to 2011.

The committee cited the audit query by the Auditor-General of the Federation that the NDDC allegedly paid N23.215bn to contractors for 2008 to 2012 for  150 projects now stalled.

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Responding, Kemerbrandikumo, explained that the extra-budgetary expenditure arose because of the late passage of the agency’s budgets in the period under review.

On the alleged 150 abandoned projects, he said the NDDC was making efforts towards recovering the funds from various contractors through the banks that raised Advanced Project Guarantees on their behalf.

Meanwhile, the Senate Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission on Monday slammed the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission for failing to honour its invitation over alleged misappropriation of N40bn.