NDDC: Our Refusal To Pay Sobomabo Jackrich ‘Humongous Amount’ Responsible For Embezzlement Claim

The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has described as baseless, the claim that its management had embezzled N6.25 billion approved as COVID-19 palliatives fund by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The NDDC was responding to High Chief Sobomabo Jackrich, who made the allegation against the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the commission.

According to the NDDC, Jackrich resorted to blackmail against the IMC because it refused to grant his request to be paid a “humongous amount” for temporarily chairing the palliatives distribution committee of the commission.

It described Jackrich’s allegation as another, “false claim orchestrated by the same forces who have been waging a campaign of falsehood against the Commission and its management since President Muhammadu Buhari ordered a forensic audit of the operations of the Commission in the past 19 years.”

Speaking in a statement by its director of corporate affairs, the commission detailed the events that led to Jackrich’s appointment and removal as chairman of the COVID-19 palliatives distribution committee and his subsequent allegation and alleged blackmail against the IMC.

It said, “High Chief Jackrich approached the Commission to work with it in different ways. He was then chosen to oversee the Committee involved in the distribution of the COVID-19 Palliatives to communities in the Niger Delta. The Committee was put in place to ensure transparency in the process.

“Immediately the constitution of this committee was announced, some of the State Governors reached out to the Commission that they would have nothing to do with it. Instead, they demanded that the palliatives meant for their states be given to them. In fact, one particular Governor declined to give the permit to move the items during the COVID lockdown unless the Commission directly deal with his government in the matter.

“The Education, Health and Social Services Directorate (EHSS), which oversees the COVID-19 response raised a memo advising management to accede to the demands of the governors. The memo dated May 22, 2020 argued that in view of the need to collaborate with state governments in the Niger Delta, the management should grant approval for state directors ‘to liaise with their respective state governments, on behalf of the Commission in drawing up a programme for the flag off and donation of the COVID-19 Palliative items in their respective states.

“On May 23 2020, management approved the request of the EHSS directorate. As a result of this approval and the change in policy, the task of the High Chief Jackrich Committee became redundant. This means the High Chief was no longer and could no longer be involved in the direct distribution of the Palliatives. This also means he could not have accurate information on the exercise,” it said.

The NDDC further noted that, “none of the nine state governments has denied receiving its own share of the food items for distribution under the COVID-19 Palliatives programme.”

The commission also noted that besides procurement of food items, the amount approved by the president covered the procurement of medical kits and a public sensitisation campaign against the spread of COVID-19.

The NDDC said some of the items procured and distributed to the Niger Delta States were: “27 trilogy 202 ventilations, 65 ECG Machines, 54 RT PCR Machines, 18 APC smart digital UPS 5KVA, 36 infra-red thermometers, 18 double jar suction machines, 18 Fluid warmers, 18 multi parameter patient monitors.”

It said others were: “94 standard ICU beds, 95 oxygen cylinders, 95 oxygen masks, 95 infusion pumps, 18 mobile X-ray machines,18 mobile ultrasound machines, 18 mobile dialysis machines, 18 arterial blood gas machines, Sanitizers and syringe pumps.”