The Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei, has accused the National Assembly of working against the forensic audit ordered by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Pondei made this allegation in a press statement issued on Tuesday by the Commission’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Charles Odili.
However, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on NDDC, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, dismissed the allegations, saying that both the Senate and the House are in full support of the forensic audit ordered by the president.
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Pondei had alleged that the probe being embarked on by the National Assembly was distracting the Commission from focusing on the forensic audit which all stakeholders, including governors of the nine Niger Delta States, agreed with President Buhari as the way forward for the Commission.
Pondei alleged that “the probe being trumpeted by the National Assembly is not for an altruistic reason but an attempt by some members to arm-twist the Interim Management Committee.”
“We have faced so much pressure from some members of the National Assembly not to send certain files to forensic auditors.
“We fear that this will compromise the integrity of the exercise and have refused to do their bidding,” he claimed.
House of Reps counterclaim
While countering some of the allegations against the National Assembly, Tunji-Ojo said the National Assembly is in support of the forensic audit.
“To indicate our support, when the 2019 budget was brought; look at this budget proposal, the President approved forensic in October last year, this budget was brought to the National Assembly in November, precisely November 26, a month after the approval of the President for forensic.
“Yet, they did not put forensic as a budget line in the budget; they have no financial provision for forensic.
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“It took the National Assembly, in line with its power of appropriation, to be able to provide funds for the forensic.
“This is it in the budget, precisely serial No: 179 under regional for the forensic.
“The President approved the sum of N2.5 billion for the forensic and we budgeted for the provision of N2.5 billion in line with what the President approved and we made provision for N1.250 billion in 2019 budget of which they have already paid some because we have records from CBN and others.
“How else as a Legislature, as a responsible and responsive arm of government can we cooperate and show support for the forensic other than making these funds available?
“If we are not in support, we wouldn’t have made the funds available.
“Let me say emphatically, we are in support of forensic because the truth must be lay bared and what we are saying in the process of doing forensic if there are allegations, you should be able to defend yourself and not hide under forensic as if forensic has granted you immunity.
“Forensic is not a medium of granting immunity and that’s all we are saying.
“We have not indicted anybody.
“All these things are still allegations against the IMC.
“There is no resolution of the House against them yet.
“All we are saying is there are allegations, come and defend yourself in line with the principle of fair hearing,” he posited.
