Drama as NDDC management walk out on House Of Reps committee members

The management team of the Niger Delta Development Commission on Thursday staged a walk out on the House of Representatives Committee on Niger Delta.

Last week, the House of Representatives started an investigation into the payment of mobilisation fees totalling N70.495bn made by the Niger Delta Development Commission to 1,773 contractors, who did not report to sites.

The payment were made between 2008 and 2012, according to an audit query issued the Office of the Auditor-General of the Federation.

The office has issued 219 queries on the NDDC’s finances.

The House Committee on Public Accounts, at its investigating hearing, asked the acting Managing Director of the NDDC, Prof. Kemebrandikumo Pondei, to provide details of the projects and list of all defaulting contractors.

Today’s hearing The house committee on the Niger Delta is conducting an investigative hearing on the alleged financial malfeasance and other activities in the NDDC.

But the acting Managing Director, Daniel Pondei, who appeared with other management staff of the commission, accused the Chairman of the House Committee on NDDC, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of corruption. 

He said, “We are not comfortable with the chairman of this committee presiding over a matter he has been accused of.”

He asked Tunji-Ojo to recuse himself from the investigation.

When lawmakers intervened and told the NDDC team that nobody could decide its modus operandi, the NDDC management staged a walk out.