Senate c’ttee summons NDDC over N100bn contracts scandal
The Senate Public Accounts Committee has summoned the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for allegedly spending over N100 billion on contracts without execution. The committee, relying on a report by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation on special periodic checks on NDDC activities between 2013 and 2018, said there were 47 queries against […]
Nigerian Senate
The Senate Public Accounts Committee has summoned the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for allegedly spending over N100 billion on contracts without execution.
The committee, relying on a report by the Office of the Auditor-General for the Federation on special periodic checks on NDDC activities between 2013 and 2018, said there were 47 queries against the interventionist agency.
The chairman of the committee, Senator Matthew Urhoghide (PDP, Edo), told newsmen that NDDC officials had been invited to appear before the panel on Wednesday this week.
He said it was painful that over N100 billion was spent with on contracts in NDDC without justification for the spending.
Urhoghide said: “We’ve invited NDDC to come. They don’t have records of financial transaction. They’ll appear before us on Wednesday.
“They have 47 queries and we’re going to attend to the issue from 1 to 47. It is painful that N100 billion was spent without justification for it.
“We equally invited them for status enquiry on all revenue into their accounts.
“We’re waiting for the NDDC. If they don’t come, we’ll take necessary action against them.”
The audit report said many contractors were paid mobilization fee to commence the execution of the projects awarded to them, but some of them bolted away after collection.
“The surprising aspect of it was that this practice involved 626 contractors in which the sum of N61.4 billion was lost to fraudulent practices,” it said.