Stakeholders raises alarm over N15billion fraudulent payments at NDDC

Some Traditional rulers, youth groups and other stakeholders from the Niger Delta region have raised an alarm over the alleged fraudulent payment of unexecuted desilting jobs and others at the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The Niger Delta Stakeholders called on the Chairman of the Governing Board of the NDDC, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie and other members of the board to urgently send a letter to the President, seeking his permission to be exempted as accorded to the Managing Director and two executive directors that were exempted by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs against the President’s directives.

They claimed that the resumption of Mrs. Lauretta Onochie and other members pending the directive of the President will save the commission and the region from financial damnation.

The Niger Delta Stakeholders, made up of Traditional Rulers, Youth Activists, Freedom Fighters, Members of Civil Society groups and Politicians, also claimed that the alleged fraudulent payments by the NDDC, is worrisome and could cripple the NDDC and sentence the commission to the graveyard of debts.

The spokesman for the stakeholders HIgh Chief Tarigha L. Amangi, argued that despite the alleged records of unexecuted distilton jobs payments, and the payment of other unexecuted jobs to the tune of N15billion in the last one week alone, the commission has slated another 15 unexecuted distilton jobs for payment on Monday 10th July 2023.

“We also call on Mrs. Lauretta Onochie and other members as a matter of urgency to write to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and alert the nation on the wanton alleged stealing within the commission. Given the decision of the Permanent Secretary of the Niger Delta Ministry to usurp the power of the President by reinstating two directors against the Presidential directive on dissolution of boards of MDAs and Agencies, we are worried that this unconstitutional and illegal action of the Permanent Secretary, and the silence by the Presidency is responsible for the rising financial crisis in the commission and the Niger Delta region.

Amangi argued that since the dissolution of the boards of MDAs and the controversial exemption handed to the Managing Directors and Chief Executive Officers, the commission has been allowed to operate without checks and balances. “These individuals know that they will be leaving office sooner or later therefore, they have decided to allegedly cleanout every kobo in the NDDC’s account before they leave office, and it is the height of irresponsibility and intentional dereliction of duty for the presidency to allow this evil to continue against the Niger Delta people.”

He said “we, the stakeholders of the Niger Delta region, have met and resolve to call on the Chairman of the NDDC Board, Mrs. Lauretta Onochie and other members to resume work check the rising excesses and alleged fraudulent payments of over N15billion within the last one week by the present management team of the NDDC,” their statement reads.