Fainting Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Daniel Pondei, has raised the alarm telling Nigerians how the Senate and House of Representative Ad-hoc Committees are plotting to scuttle the forensic audit of the Commission by discrediting it in its final report.
Pondei, who was reacting to a newspaper report credited to the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee that he and members of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) were collecting 30% of total contract amount from contractors before paying them, said “it is surprising and disappointing that the Senate Committee can be attributed with unproven allegations as their final report.”
The NDDC boss however said that he is not distracted by spurious allegations perpetrated by those bent on scuttling the ongoing forensic audit of the Commission.
He dismissed the allegations as unfounded and orchestrated plot by those mentioned in the contract sleaze to get back at him for daring to name and shame them for holding the Commission and the region hostage for years.
According to him, the siege on the NDDC has been broken with the naming of those who are behind the financial malfeasance and contract racketeering.
Pondei in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Edgar Ebigoni, denied that no member of the IMC or himself has ever sought for or received bribe or any other form of inducement for performing their duties.
He however said the Committee is not perturbed by “spurious claims and accusations regarding its work”.
According to the statement, “the attention of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has been drawn to the above subject of a newspaper report credited to the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee which recently investigated the alleged financial malfeasance in NDDC.
“The Ad-hoc Committee which had Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, All Progressives Congress, APC, Ekiti North as Chairman, had Senators Jika Dauda Haliru, APC Bauchi Central; Mohammed Tanko Almakura, APC Nasarawa South; Abdulfatai Buhari; APC Oyo North; Chukwuka Utazi, PDP, Enugu North, Ibrahim Hadeija, APC Jigawa North East and Degi – Eremienyo Biobarakuma Wangaha, APC Bayelsa East, had grilled the Prof. Daniel Pondei led IMC, in July, 2020, during which Prof. Pondei denied the above allegations and challenged anyone to come forward with evidence to wit.
“The Acting MD stated on oath, during the probe, that he has never requested or received kickbacks of any sort, from contractors. It is therefore surprising and disappointing that the Senate Committee can be attributed with unproven allegations as their final report.”