The House of Representatives Committee on Nigeria Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has begun its day of public hearing as it investigates alleged financial misappropriation at the agency
The committee is scheduled to grill the Minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio and acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Daniel Pondei. Acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Daniel Pondei is still under questioning by committee members.
12:44: “I don’t want to lie under oath, but I will provide the answer,” Pondei says in reply to grilling by the committee on how he got authorisation to spend N1.32bn for COVID-19 palliatives.
The acting NDDC MD had earlier corrected a committee member on the exact figure of the COVID-19 intervention figure. N1.32bn, not N1.5bn, Pondei said.
12:37: Pondei begins to lay out his defense
According to him, scholarship payments are being processed. “The forensic audit is ongoing. I won’t comment on that. The NDDC doesn’t have jurisdiction over the audit. We only provide the necessary documents for it.”
“We promoted staff when we came in because morale was low.” He describes the allegations made against him as a media trial.
12:35: Hon. Thomas Ereyi-Tobi, the Deputy Chairman of the Committee, gives Prof. Pondei the green light to “go ahead with your presentation.”
12:29: “We should be allowed to debunk the allegations made against us,” Pondei says.
Earlier, he also said the NDDC, under his management, has not awarded a single scholarship.
Several students abroad have accused the NDDC of abandoning its financial obligations towards them.
The acting Chairman of NDDC IMC Professor Daniel Pondei just collapsed.
Source: https://ejesgist.com/breaking-acting-nddc-chairman-collapses.html
