News
NDDC scandal: Senate calls for refund of N4.923 billion by management, staff, police
The Nigeria Senate has ordered the NDDC’s Interim Management Committee (IMC), Staff and the Police to immediately refund of N4.923 billion which it was spent questionably between April and May, 2020.
The resolution was part of Thursday’s legislative debate on the investigative report on alleged financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission.
Before taking a far reaching decision on the report that was laid by the Committee Chairman, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, the Upper legislative chamber said the NDDC, an agency of government has been turned into a cesspool of corruption.
The Committee report pushed for 17- point recommendations which were adopted by the Senate.
The report identified three major sources of revenue into NDDC viz: monetary contributions by oil companies mostly in dollars, budgetary provisions and Internally Generated Revenues (IGR).
From the three sources according to the report, the Commission got a total of N81.5 billion between October 29, 2019 and May 31, 2020 and expended all.
Though two different IMCs, the report stated, held the Commission during the period under review but the current one headed by Professor Daniel Pondei which assumed office on the 19th February this year, spent about 90% of the monies on items that were very questionable .
The most frivolous of the spendings, the report identified, was the N4.923 billion spent between March and May this year, which it declared, must be refunded by the beneficiaries who were mostly members of the NDDC IMC, the entire staff of the Commission and the Police High Command .
The breakdown of the N4.923billion to be refunded are N1.49billion spent as relief fund for COVID-19, N1.12billion for Public Communication , N1 .96billion for procurement of Lassa Fever Kits, N164.2million claimed to have been expended on Union Members Trip to Italy , N105.5million said to have been spent on Scholarships Grants and N85.7million claimed to have been spent on Overseas Travel to the United Kingdom during total lockdown against the spread of COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically on the COVID-19 relief funds, the Acting MD of the Commission , Pondei, will refund N10million , Executive Director ( Project) Dr Cairo Ojougboh , will refund N7million along with one other executive director ,
Others are 157 staffers of the Commission who collected N3million as relief fund , 148 others who collected N1.5 million each , another set of 157 others who collected N1million each and the remaining 497 staffers claimed to have been given N600,000.00 each as relief funds for COVID-19.
Out of the N1.5billion claimed to have been expended on relief funds , the balance of N475million is to be refunded by the Police High Command for allegedly collecting the sum for procurement of face masks and hand sanitizers .
Senate also resolved to revisit the Act establishing the Commission , in getting it repositioned for execution of projects that would develop the Niger Delta Area and not engaging on all manner of operations not correlated to the Niger Delta Master Plan .
The upper legislative Chamber kicked against the idea of self appointed forensic auditor by the Commission , saying such a practice cannot expose fraud let alone , ensure transparency and accountability .
It consequently recommended that the Office of Auditor General of the Federation , should by constitutionality , be saddled with such responsibility .
” In order to ensure that the forensic audit achieves the purpose for which it is set up and inspire confidence in the operational and financial processes of NDDC oversight of the audit should be transferred to the office of the Auditor General of the Federation .
“This will guarantee independence , credibility, transparency and professionalism in the output of the exercise.
“Furthermore, the Committee recommends that the President with advice from the Auditor General should appoint a renowned , internationally recognised Forensic Auditor to carry out the exercise” , the report states .
The Upper legislative Chamber however mandated its Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions to investigate alleged meddlesomeness of its members in the operations of the commission .
“There are assertions of blackmail by NDDC against members of the National Assembly on the the subject of procurement process , this must be investigated and if found true, the practice must stop ” , the report states .
Virtually all the Senators who contributed, insisted that the NDDC ‘s IMC must be immediately dissolved to have way for Board of Directors .
According to them, what the IMC members were doing at the Commission ,was nothing but day light robbery .
“People in the Niger Delta Area , are suffering , and billions of Naira are being looted on daily basis by those ordinarily saddled with the development of the area “, they lamented.
In his remarks, the President of the Senate , Ahmad Lawan, assured his colleagues , that the report would be acted upon by President Muhamnadu Buhari.
“This report has exposed inefficiency and large scale corruption going on in NDDC.
“It has revealed that over the years , those charged with the responsibility of running the Commission and by extension, facilitating development of the Niger Delta Area , have squandered the resources given to them for that purpose.
“We are on the same page with the executive in getting the agency sanitized and I can assure you that the report will receive the required attention it deserves from Mr President”, he said .
The Ex-Head of Service of Rivers State, George Nwaeke has revealed how the embattled Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara ordered bombing of the State House of Assembly complex in 2023 to avoid impeachment moves by legislators loyal to Chief Nyesom Wike.
The governor who was suspended from office in the heat of crisis rocking the State however, swiftly denied the allegation and urged the public to disregard it.
The former HoS who resigned from office recently gave the revelation during a press briefing on Friday in Port Harcourt, adding that bag of money was allegedly handed over to the former House of Assembly leader, Edison Ehie, who later became Fubara’s Chief of Staff to attack the Assembly complex located along Moscow Road, Port Harcourt.
He said, “First, it all started with the Rivers State House of Assembly, where Governor Siminalayi Fubara directed his Chief of Staff (Edison Ehie) to burn down the Assembly to avert his impeachment. That evening, Edison was in Government House with two other boys, including the former Chairman of Obio/Akpor LGA, one Chijioke.
“I was there with them when a bag of money was handed over to Edison for that operation, though I do not know the amount inside. I want to tell the people of Rivers State today that the House of Assembly Complex on Moscow Road was deliberately brought down by Edison Ehie under the instructions of Governor Siminalayi Fubara. I challenge him to an open confrontation, and I will provide more details.
“A day after that incident, I almost resigned, but I was very scared because I knew the power of a sitting governor. He knew that I was aware of the whole plan and that I was uncomfortable with the unconscionable act and his deliberate posture of innocence.
“Another attempt was also made to destroy the residential quarters of the House of Assembly members. If not for the press conference held there by Rivers youths, Rivers elders, and National Assembly members, that would have been another barbaric demolition in Rivers State.
“I realised that they actually wanted to demolish that second building because, weeks later, he personally told me that if he had known earlier, he would have pulled down their hall before targeting the residential quarters of the Assembly. He didn’t realise they had such a beautiful hall where they are now holding their sittings.
“I was shocked and asked myself: how could a man who wants to lead his people be destroying state assets and wasting public funds on a needless ego fight?”
Nwaeke stated that he resigned voluntarily, countering speculations that he was sacked or pressured to leave.
“With the load of misinformation in print and electronic media, I have chosen to set the record straight.
“I was not sacked, nor was I pressured to resign; I did it willingly from the depth of my heart,” he clarified.
Nwaeke further alleged that another attempt was made to destroy the residential quarters of the House of Assembly members but was thwarted by a press conference held by Rivers youths, elders, and National Assembly members.
According to him, Fubara had openly expressed a desire to demolish more state property, raising concerns about his leadership style.
He also claimed that Fubara had made comments about using the Ijaw people to influence Nigeria’s presidency, referencing control over oil pipelines and potential disruptions.
Reacting, Fubara denied the allegations levelled against him, asking Nigerians to disregard them.
The governor described Nwaeke’s allegations as “laughable” in a statement he signed on Friday.
“The truth is that Dr. Nwaeke has been compromised, and whatever he is saying is only aimed at fulfilling his promise to those who may have paid or coerced him to lie against me.
“I call on all well-meaning Nigerians and the good people of Rivers State to disregard everything said by Dr. Nwaeke as they are mere desperate attempts to discredit me and my administration, and undermine the peace process by Mr. President,” he said.
Overland Airways, Nigeria’s longest serving private domestic airline is pleased to announce the resumption of flight services from Abuja to Jalingo and return. Overland Airways has also introduced Lagos to Jalingo flights through Abuja.
Overland Airways has been the pioneer airline on the route for years but flight services were temporarily suspended in November 2024 due to expansion work at the airport. The airline is now set to reconnect the two cities providing passengers with convenient and reliable travel options.
Effective April 3, 2025, Overland Airways will resume three (3) weekly flights on the Abuja-Jalingo-Abuja route. The flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using Overland Airways’ brand-new Embraer 175 aircraft. Flights will depart Abuja to Jalingo at 10:00am and Jalingo to Abuja at 11:30am.
Passengers across Overland Airways network including Lagos, Akure, Ibadan, Minna and Ilorin, amongst others can connect to Jalingo through our hub in Abuja.
Capt. Edward Boyo, Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Executive of Overland Airways says: “We are excited to reintroduce our Abuja-Jalingo-Abuja services which will not only enhance connectivity but also boost economic activities in Taraba State in particular and the Northeastern region of Nigeria in general. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to the Governor of Taraba state, His Excellency Dr. Agbu Kefas for his unwavering support and commitment to the development of the Danbaba Suntai Airport. We would like to also thank our customers for their patience and understanding and assure them of our usual excellent customer services.”
Jalingo has been a long existing route for Overland Airways, and for the very first time, Overland Airways will be operating our brand-new Embraer 175, a dual-class 88-seater modern jet aircraft featuring Premium class seats with spacious legroom and the regular Economy class on this route. We are keen on providing our Jalingo travellers with unparalleled convenience and comfort.
Overland Airways service offering has evolved from an all-turboprop fleet to a mixed fleet with the introduction of brand-new Embraer E175 jets. In October 2024, Overland Airways renewed its IOSA safety certification for the 5th consecutive time reaffirming its position as a safe and leading African carrier.
Member representing Obio/Akpor Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and Minority Leader of the House, Honourable Kingsley Chinda said, the Tax Reform Bills would serve the interest of citizens of Nigeria.
He spoke in defence of the passage of the recent tax reform bill, describing it as a product of diligent legislative work aimed at serving Nigerians’ interests.
Speaking to journalists at the National Assembly on Wednesday, Hon. Chinda emphasized that effective opposition does not require public confrontations but strategic engagement. He noted that the tax reform bill, initially flawed, was subjected to thorough scrutiny and stakeholder consultations before passage.
“We saw that the bill was not good enough for Nigerians, so we pushed for reforms,” Chinda stated. “We engaged the National Assembly leadership, consulted governors, state parliaments, and civil society groups to ensure the final version better served the people.”
While acknowledging that no law is perfect, he maintained that the revised bill represents significant progress, balancing public interest and economic needs.
On the PDP’s internal crisis, Chinda expressed disappointment over conflicting interpretations of the Supreme Court’s judgment affirming Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s national secretary. He dismissed claims by some members still recognizing Chief Ndubuisi Okoye, describing such actions as misleading.
“The Supreme Court’s ruling was clear—Anyanwu was never lawfully removed and remains our national secretary,” Chinda said. He criticized the party’s National Organizing Secretary for causing confusion and urged members to seek clarification from the Peoples Democratic Party’s legal adviser instead of spreading misinformation.
Chinda, who is a leading opposition voice in the House, called for unity, cautioning against public disputes that damage the party’s image. “We must avoid washing our dirty linen in public. The judgment is final, and we should focus on strengthening the party ahead of future elections,” he advised.
Despite the Peoples Democratic Party’s challenges, Chinda expressed optimism about the party’s resurgence after its upcoming congresses and national convention. He urged members to prioritize Nigeria’s interests over personal ambitions, emphasizing that internal disagreements would not diminish the PDP’s role as a viable opposition.
On concerns about Nigeria drifting toward a one-party system, Chinda dismissed fears, stating that the PDP’s revival depends on strategic repositioning rather than the ruling All Progressives Congress’ actions. “We must go back to the drawing board, put the country first, and rebuild,” he concluded.
The Minority Leader’s remarks underscored his commitment to legislative diligence and party discipline, even as the PDP navigates its current turbulence.
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