Trouble Hits NDDC As Top Management Staff Alleges N 6.5 Billion Squandered On Non-Existing Covid-19 Palliatives

Not long after being embroiled in financial crisis, the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has again played host to another financial scandal.

A top management staff has accused the NDDC of squandering N6.25 billion on ghost Palliatives against COVID-19.

Flowing from this, the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, issued last minute summon to the management of the commission to unfailingly appear before it on 22nd of this month for explanations on the alleged scandalous Palliatives .

Recall that NDDC had under the leadership of the recently sacked Professor Daniel Pondei led Interim Management Committee (IMC), claimed to have spent N6.25 billion on Palliatives against COVID-19 last year across the nine oil producing states .

However, the Chairman of the agency’s COVID-19 Palliative Distribution Committee, Ambassador Sobomabo Jackrich, has revealed that not a dime was spent for such purpose by the then IMC of the Commission.

In a petition he wrote to the Senate Committee on Public Petitions, Jackrich said : “As Chairman of the COVID-19 Palliatives Distribution Committee of the NDDC, I testify that N6.25 billion 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.”

The leadership of the NDDC was not however, at the committee’s sitting on Thursday to answer to the petition.

But reacting to this development, the Chairman of the Committee, Senator Ayo Akinyelure said there will be no escape route for the agency’s management on the alleged fraud.

“This is the third time the leadership of the commission failed to honour invitation on the alleged N6.25billion COVID-19 Palliatives scam .

“But unfortunately for them, as a committee of the Senate, we shall thoroughly investigate it whether they like it or not , since petition on the fraud even came from a ranking officer from the commission .

“Even as a Senator from one of the affected States, I along with 26 others, did not see any Palliatives distributed by NDDC last year .

“Since government is a continuum, the new management of the commission, must appear before the Committee unfailingly on the 22nd of this month,” he said.

The lawmaker, howerver, added that the submission of the new management on the alleged scam, will determine the fate of the disbanded Pondei led IMC, alleged to have squandered the money .