Nigerian Senate ad hoc committee investigating the misappropriation of funds in the Niger Delta Development Commission said the agency had spent N1.3 trillion within four years.
In the report read on Thursday by the Senate Committee Chairman, Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi, the NDDC spent the N1.3 trillion between 2015 and May 31, 2019.
Adetunmbi said many of the expenses were extra-budgetary.
The investigation report revealed that the NDDC paid 4.9 billion Naira to staff for numerous allowances including COVID-19 relief, tour duty allowances, overseas travel, and international scholarships.
The payment for overseas travel and scholarship was during the coronavirus lockdown and surcease of flights abroad.
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Adetunmbi added that the committee observed process errors and infractions, as well as substantial payments, were made to staff in the form of unjustifiable allowances.
He said the committee observed process errors and infractions, as well as substantial payments, were made to staff in the form of unjustifiable allowances.
The committee also observed that the Ministry of Niger delta is culpable of negligent supervision of the NDDC.
It further noted that the performance of the interim management committee IMC is a major issue as the record of the IMC has not shown any record of prudence and it should be dissolved.
The committee also raised an alarm over the forensic audit called for by President Buhari, stating that it is at a rudimentary level with the recruitment of the auditors still underway even after eight months.
The Guardian
