The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), on Wednesday, made submissions before the House of Representatives over the alleged N82.5 billion expenditure by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) between January and May 2020.
Their submissions, it was gathered, was in relation to the financial transactions of the NDDC and the roles they played.
Aside from the CBN and the AGF, the Auditor General of the Federation (AGoF) and the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) also appeared at the two-day investigative hearing of the House Committee on NDDC.
The Committee Chairman, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo (APC, Ondo), said the committee was investigating the “outrageous and unexplained” expenditure by the NDDC within a short period.
According to him, the Commission claimed to have spent N1.3 billion on community relations, N122.9 million on condolences, N83 million on consultancy as well as N3.14 billion on COVID-19, N486 million Duty Travel Allowance (DTA), and N790.9 million as Impress.
Tunji-Ojo said N1.956 billion was also said to have been spent on Lassa Fever, N900 million on Legal Service, N220 million on Maintenance, and N85.6 million on foreign travels.
According to him, the NDDC also claimed to have spent N1.121 billion on Projects Public Communication, N744 million on Security, N8.8 billion on Staffing related payment, while Stakeholders engagement from February 18 to May 31, 2020 gulfed N248 million.
The NDDC Interim Management Committee (IMC) were, however, not present at the hearing.
But in an earlier appearance before a Senate committee on the same issue, the NDDC’s acting Deputy Director, Projects, Cairo Ojougboh, said the allegation that the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Commission has been misapplying funds was not true.
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