The Senate Committee on Public Account has expressed shock and anger that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was operating 22 bank accounts instead of four approved for the Commission before the introduction of the Treasury Single Account.
Chairman of the Committee, Senator Andy Uba, lambasted the Commission for its disregard for accountability.
The chairman said that the committee is probing the details of contracts awarded by the Commission because of series of petitions written against the agency in the award of contracts.
“The Committee as part of its mandate of ensuring accountability and transparency in the management of the Public Accounts of the Federation and on receipt of petitions of corruption on the award of contracts at the commission decided to embark on special oversight on income and expenditure of the commission.
“Sequel to the above, the committee wrote the commission on 23rd and 30th August, 2016 requesting for information on revenue, expenditure and personnel information.
“The commission was to respond within the period of two weeks, but it never responded.
“The committee wrote a reminder on the 16th September, 2016 and invited the acting Managing Director to appear before it on 20th September, 2016.
“The Commission refused to furnish the committee with the requested information and the Managing Director did not appear before the Committee.
“The Committee, again, wrote another reminder to the commission on the submission of the requested information and rescheduled the appearance of the MD to Thursday, 22nd September, 2016.
“The commission formally wrote requesting for a new appointment on 23rd September, 2016.
“The commission only made submission on the requested information on 13th October, 2016.
“It took the commission more than a month to make its submission.
“Arising from the above, it can be deduced that the commission has no regard for the Committee and by extension the Senate.
“The commission do not take matters of accountability seriously.
“The commission may not have been keeping proper records of its income and expenditure, hence the delay in submission.
“The commission may have something to hide.”
In her response, the Acting Managing Director of the Commission, Ibim Semenitari, said that the agency failed to honour its invitation due to the enormous tasks before it.
Semenitari assured the committee that all the needed documents will be provided within the stipulated time by the committee.
The NDDC boss said that a total of N23.5 billion had been given to the Commission by the Federal Government in addition to N87.1 billion received from oil companies as part of their contributions to the NDDC budget. [myad]
