By Osahon Osahon
President Muhammadu Buhari has directed auditing firms and investigative agencies working in collaboration with National Assembly Committees to speed up probe of the alleged financial malpractice by the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
He also said his office must be duly inform of such development so as to reshape the interventionist agency to meet establishing mandate of speeding socio-economic development of the oil-rich Niger Delta region.
A statement issued by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari said the directive was for better coordination among security and investigating agencies handling the probe of the NDDC.
This is coming on the heels of the face-off between the National Assembly Committees on NDDC and the Interim Management Committee of the commission over alleged financial misappropriation by the new leadership.
According to him, all investigations by the National Assembly and other relevant agencies must be carried out within a short period.
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The President said such efforts should be gear towards bringing sanity, accountability and transparency in the management of the large amount of resources dedicated to development of the Niger Delta is achieved.
The statement read, “In his reaction to the unfolding dramas, which include attacks and counter-attacks between and around persons, institutions, and the Niger Delta Development Commission, President Buhari expressed his strong determination to get to the root of the problem undermining the development of the Niger Delta and its peoples in spite of enormous national resources voted year after year for this singular purpose.
“According to the directive, auditing firms and investigative agencies working in collaboration with National Assembly Committees to resolve the challenges in the NDDC, must initiate actions in a time-bound manner and duly inform the Presidency of the actions being taken.
“The President also directed timely sharing of information and knowledge in a way to speedily assist the administration to diagnose what has gone wrong in the past and what needs to be done to make corrections in order to return the NDDC to its original mandate of making life better for people in Niger Delta.
“President Buhari said the administration wants to bring about ‘rapid, even and sustainable development to the region.”
