Nigeria: NDDC disbursed ‘scholarship grants’ to MD, directors – Senate

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 02:35 pm

Top officers of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) paid themselves scholarship delivers at a time thousands of deserving scholarship beneficiaries had now not been paid for years and were stranded in one of a kind countries, a report has shown.

The document by lawmakers joins the other revelations that emanated from the National Assembly’s investigation into spending by way of the NDDC, which has generated mixed reactions among Nigerians.

The Senate had on May 5, set upa seven-member ad-hoc committee to probe the “financial recklessness” of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC.

The committee was specially asked to probe the IMC for allegedly squandering N40 billion in three months.

In the same vein, the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta commenced an investigative listening to on the alleged mismanagement of N81.5 billion between January and July by using the commission.

Investigative hearings performed by the Senate and House committees in July, witnessed accusations and counter-accusations between some lawmakers and contributors of the NDDC, amongst other discoveries.

Besides how lawmakers allegedly ‘hijacked‘ NDDC tasks and how the commission spent N1.3 billion for team of workers as ‘COVID-19 relief funds’, the today’s principal revelation is how the NDDC paid scholarship promises to the Managing Director, Daniel Pondei, and different pinnacle officers of the commission.

This was contained in the record of the Senate ad-hoc committee bought by KnowAfrika.

Top among the beneficiaries are Mr Pondei, the acting deputy director, projects, Cairo Ojougboh, and another director, Luke Ibanga.

(PremiumTimes)