N6.25bn palliative: Senate demands arrest of NDDC boss

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, has issued warrant of arrest on the Interim Administrator of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Effiong Okon Akwa, for failing to honour the panel’s invitation. The committee had, on several occasions, summoned the NDDC boss to offer explanation on N6.2 billion spent the commission spent on […]

The Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, has issued warrant of arrest on the Interim Administrator of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Effiong Okon Akwa, for failing to honour the panel’s invitation.

The committee had, on several occasions, summoned the NDDC boss to offer explanation on N6.2 billion spent the commission spent on COVID-19 palliatives.

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Irked by the absence of the NDDC boss at its sitting on Monday, the Committee, chaired by Senator Ayo Akinyelure (PDP Ondo Central), resolved that the Inspector – General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, will be officially contacted by the Senate to bring the NNDC boss before the committee unfailingly on the 9th of next month.

Senator Akinyelure said: “Having invited head of the NDDC four times without honouring the invitations, this committee has no option than invoking relevant section of the Constitution for warrant of arrest on whoever is the boss of the agency now.

“The petition against the agency by an insider on alleged squandering of N6.2billion on COVID-19 palliatives last year is grave and weighty to be ignored.

“To this end, required constitutional procedures and processes will be followed by this committee in ensuring that the Inspector General of Police bring before it the NDDC boss on March 9, 2021 when the next sitting will hold.”

NDDC had, under the sacked Professor Daniel Pondei-led Interim Management Committee (IMC), claimed to have spent N6.25billion on COVID-19 palliatives in 2020 across the nine oil producing states.

But the Chairman of the agency’s COVID-19 Palliative Distribution Committee, Ambassador Sobomabo Jackrich, in a petition forwarded to the committee, said not a dime was spent for such purpose by the then IMC of the Commission.