NATIONAL: Senate summons NDDC over N6.25bn Covid-19 palliative

THE Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, on Thursday, issued a fresh summon on the management staff of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

Top executives of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) are to expected to appear before the Senate panel on February 22 to give account of the sum of N6.25bn allegedly spent on COVID-19 palliative by the commission in 2020.

The summon by the Senate is based on a petition, which alleged that the management staff of the commission spent the money on palliatives, but can’t provide accountability.

According to the petition before the Senate panel, there a claims that the sacked Prof. Daniel Pondei-led management of the NDDC, spent N6.25bn on palliative across the nine Niger Delta states.

The COVID-19 Palliative Distribution Committee Chairman of the agency’s, Amb. Sobomabo Jackrich, who signed the petition, affirmed that no money was spent for such a purpose by the sacked Interim Management Committee (IMC).

Jackrich, in the petition, said, “As the Chairman of the COVID-19 Palliatives Distribution Committee of the NDDC, I testify that N6.25bn approved by Mr President for palliatives for the entire Niger Delta Region through the NDDC cannot be accounted for and is allegedly embezzled by the then Prof. Daniel Pondei-led IMC.

“My committee was totally sidelined and the IMC hijacked the process because of their secret plots just because I, as the Chairman, demanded for transparency in the entire process.

“The then IMC conspired among themselves and distributed strange substance in the name of palliatives in form of spoilt food items to a few communities in the region. To cover up for the fraud, they tried without success to bribe me with few bags of rice and beans just to induce me to play along with them.”

However, the NDDC leadership was absent at the committee’s sitting on Thursday to react to the allegations contained in the petition raised.

Senator Ayo Akinyelure, the Chairman of the Committee, maintained that there would be no escape for NDDC’s management on the recent alleged fraud.