NDDC In N2.5 Trillion Mess

• Needs N1.2trn To Complete Ongoing Projects

 

• How Amaechi Lost Out In New Board

 

The alleged mismanagement of about N2.5 trillion in four years by top officers of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), is receiving the attention of the Presidency.

 

Also, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), are already investigating the matter, and they have fingered substantial contracts awarded by former directors of the commission.

 

Sunday Independent sources revealed that the NDDC is enmeshed in a cumulative contract awards valued at N2.5 trillion in 2019, as against N1.79 trillion in 2014, an increase of about N1 trillion in four years.

 

 

It was equally gathered that the board and management of the Commission violated a presidential directive on probity and accountability.

 

President Muhammadu Buhari was said to have cautioned the Commission against the award of fresh contracts until all ongoing ones are completed.

 

Consequently, the Commission is ensnared in a contingent liability of N1.2 trillion, compared to N767 billion in 2014.

 

“The NDDC is in a serious mess because of the immediate liabilities that are due in 2019. We have N526 billion comprising N256 billion for historical conventional projects, N200 billion from emergency projects and about N70 billion from ongoing conventional projects invoicing daily through 2019.

 

“The average income of the Commission is about N18 billion per month or approximately, that is about N216 billion per annum. This means that we need all the income, minus the operational expenses from the rest of 2019 through 2021 to clear out what is due in 2019”, our source lamented.

 

The source further clarified that “these figures do not take into account that over N800 billion of emergencies have been awarded since 2016. As such looking at the full profile, we need about 4 to 5 years to clear out the mess.”

 

Investigations revealed that many principal directors of the Commission allegedly collided to award themselves contracts worth several billions of naira in the last four years.

 

Some principal directors have already been invited by the anti-graft agencies for questioning, among who is, the immediate past Managing Director of the Commission, Prof. Nelson Brambaifa.

 

 

Also recently invited by the EFCC for questioning over alleged financial impropriety was the former Executive Director, Finance and Administration, Chris Oyirindah.

 

The erstwhile Managing Director and the commission’s EFDA were involved in the alleged withdrawal of N2.8 billion within two weeks.

 

“They withdrew about N2.8 billion over the counter; they withdrew the money in cash. That was why they invited them,” a source who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.

 

Sunday Independent also gathered that the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, completely lost out in the new NDDC board announced last week by President Buhari.

 

President Buhari had approved a 16-man new board of the NDDC, with Dr. Pius Odubu from Edo State, as the chairman. The interim management headed by Brambaifa was directed to hand over to the most senior director in the Commission.

 

Among the board members are Bernard Okumagba from Delta State, who will serve as Managing Director; and Otobong Ndem from Akwa Ibom, who was appointed as the Executive Director, Projects.

 

Others are Maxwell Okoh from Bayelsa State; Jones Erue from Delta State; Victor Ekhatar from Edo State; Joy Nunieh from Rivers State; Nwogu Nwogu from Abia State; Theodore Allison from Bayelsa State; Victor Antai from Akwa Ibom State; Maurice Effiwatt from Cross River State; Olugbenga Elema from Ondo State; Uchegbu Kyrian from Imo State; and Aisha Muhammed from Kano State representing North-West area on the board.

 

From Adamawa State, President Buhari appointed Ardo Zubairu to represent the North-East; while Badmus Mutalib was appointed from Lagos State to represent the South-West region on the NDDC board.

 

The Minister of Transportation was said to have fought for the retention of Brambaifa as the new Managing Director, but lost out completely to the new kids on the block.

 

Many politicians in the region were said to be vehemently against Amaechi and his cohorts in the NDDC.

 

While the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio nominated Otobong Ndem from Akwa Ibom, as the Executive Director, Projects, while the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva recommended Maxwell Okoh and Theodore Allison from Bayelsa State.

 

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole recommended his former deputy, Pius Odubu as the new Chairman, while the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege nominated Bernard Okumagba from Delta State to serve as Managing Director, thus sealing the faith of Amaechi’s nominees in NDDC.

 

Akpabio, Omo-Agege and Oshimhole also have Victor Antai, Jones Erue and Victor Ekhatar, respectively on the board.

 

Although the governors of the oil-producing states are protesting the composition of the board of the NDDC, as Sunday Independent gathered that the President might have sidelined them while composing the board “because they are not members of the same political party.”

 

The source however said that, “They should have at least consulted Godwin Obaseki of Edo State who is in the APC.”

 

“The NDDC law makes provision for a Board of Governors, which the Governors can hold on to. It requires the Board to meet with the NDDC Board every quarter, but that meeting has not taken place since former President Olusegun Obasanjo left office in 2007,” our source explained.

 

Asked if President Buhari would listen to the angry governors and reverse himself, the source added, “The President will not reverse himself unfortunately. There will be no cooperation between the Niger Delta Governors and the NDDC. This is another recipe for failure. This is another tenure of money for politics and elections instead of development. We pray not.”

 

Meanwhile, the new Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Dr. Lelegima Akwagaga, has promised to bring positive change to the Commission.

 

Akwagaga made the pledge during a press briefing shortly after her arrival at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to assume duties as the new CEO of the interventionist agency.

 

She stated: “I have been charged to do things right and we will start to do things right by the grace of God. By the time I am through with my assignment, there will be a positive change in NDDC. I believe God will help me.”

 

Akwagaga took over the leadership of the NDDC from Brambaifa who led an interim management that was dissolved on August 27, 2019.

 

The new CEO said: “I have a mandate to oversee the smooth running of the NDDC until the substantive board is cleared to assume office. I believe that if we work together, we will achieve the objectives for which the NDDC was set up.

 

“To see that this foremost interventionist agency will progress and prosper during this short period, I appeal to the press to cooperate with us to see that the goals of setting up this commission are achieved.”

 

She also urged management and staff of the Commission to play their parts in facilitating the rapid development of the Niger Delta region.

 

Akwagaga promised to sanitise the commission and restore it to its former glory, stating that if everyone discharged their duties diligently, the negative image of the Commission would be corrected and people would want to be associated with it.

 

Source: independent.ng