Ijaw Youth Council believes that the forensic audit of the operations of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) will expose ‘enemies’ responsible for the underdevelopment of the region.
President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered a forensic audit of the operations of the Niger Delta Development Commission from 2001 to 2019.
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The decision followed persistent criticisms of the operations of the commission.
The President had said what was presently on ground in the South-South region did not justify the huge resources that had been made available to the agency.
Speaking during a fact finding visit to the Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei, the IYC, led by the newly elected president, Mr. Timothy Igbifa said, “This is the first time in history that a financial pipeline analysis of this magnitude is being carried out in the commission.
“Niger Deltans and the entire Nigeria is waiting patiently for the outcome of the audit so that we can all see those who have
been responsible for crippling the development of the Niger Delta region.
“Of course we are aware that a move like this is bound to be resisted by the enemies of transparency and accountability hence the sponsorship of the media trials and accusations against the IMC in order to force the President, Muhammadu Buhari to lose confidence in the IMC and stop the forensic audit. Unfortunately for them their plans have failed,’’ he said.
In the last few months, there have been several allegations of misappropriation of funds in the commission which led to a probe by the National Assembly.
The senate recently asked the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to refund the N4.923 billion alleged illegal payments made to staff of the commission and contractors in breach of the procurement process.
The NDDC acting MD had also alleged the National Assembly of coercing the NDDC to pay for some contracts that were never or partially executed.
The House of Representatives committee on NDDC is probing into the alleged misuse of N81bn by the Commission under Pondei and Godswill Akpabio.
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