The Chairman House Committee on Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo on Wednesday, July 15, 2020 said that the ongoing probe of the expenditure by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) is not to witch hunt anyone.
Hon. Tunji-Ojo disclosed this at the commencement of the investigative hearing by members of House of Representative, seeking the cooperation of stakeholders of NDDC with the panel in other to achieve its purpose.
The lawmakers are investigating the alleged misapplication of N81.5 billion from January this year till date.
“The House has not condemned anyone, else there would not be the need for investigation as directed. We are not hyper-critical or condemnatory, but open without prejudice”.
“We enjoined everyone to give this committee the maximum cooperation, as the impact of this shall be far-reaching,” he said.
The Minister of Niger Delta, Sen. Godswill Akpabio alongside his team were absent at the event, but the legislators however assured that the team would appear before the panel today, July 16, 2020 to say their side of the story.
The committee had earlier grilled the Acting Director General of the Bureau of Public Procumbent ( BPP), Babatunde Kuye, over an alleged execution of projects without certificate of no objection.
Tunji-Ojo who later briefed newsmen said that N81.5 billion was disbursed to the NDDC IMC within the period under review based on report by officials of Central Bank of Nigeria ( CBN) and Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
“Virtually all the COVID-19 expenses were carried out by the NDDC in breach of laid down rules and regulation.”
Modupe Arotolu
