FG Has Not Dissolved Interim Management Committee Of NDDC – Presidency

The Presidency says it has not dissolved the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

This position was disclosed in the early hours of Friday by President Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

Adesina said there is a statement purportedly signed by him which has been making the rounds that the Federal Government has dissolved the Interim Management Committee of the NDDC.

He adds that the publication is an action by the Merchants of fake news.

The spokesman urged Nigerians to disregard the report, stressing that the communication did not emanate from the media office of the President.

In recent times that have been calls by the National Assembly for the dissolution of the Interim Management Committee and the return of the NDDC to the Presidency for direct supervision.

This comes on the heels of revelations into the financial recklessness in the NDDC.

On Thursday, the Senate ad hoc committee investigating the NDDC said the agency had spent N1.3 trillion within four years, with some of the spending unlawful.

The committee revealed the figure during the presentation of its investigative report before the Senate days after the acting NDDC Managing Director, Prof. Kemebradikumo Pondei, slumped at a public hearing.

In the report read by the Senate Committee Chairman, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, the NDDC spent the N1.3 trillion between 2015 and May 31, 2019.

Many of the expenses, Adetunmbu said, were extra-budgetary.

He added that the Committee observed process errors and infractions, as well as substantial payments, were made to staff in the form of unjustifiable allowances.

He said the committee observed process errors and infractions, as well as substantial payments, were made to staff in the form of unjustifiable allowances.

The investigation further revealed that the NDDC paid 4.9 billion Naira to staff for numerous allowances including COVID-19 relief, tour duty allowances, overseas travel, and international scholarships.

Curiously, the payment for overseas travel and scholarship was during the lockdown and cessation of flights abroad.

The committee also observed that the ministry of Niger delta is culpable if negligent supervision of the NDDC.

It further noted that the performance of the interim management committee IMC is a major issue as the record of the IMC has not shown any record of prudence and it should be dissolved.