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Thursday, 27 October 2016

Hmmmmmm......Senate gives NDDC 7 days ultimatum over contracts

Senate gives NDDC 7 days to tender evidence of approval on 1,691 contracts.
Senate gives NDDC 7 days to tender evidence of approval on 1,691 contracts

The Senate committee on public accounts has directed authorities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) to report all evidences of approval for 1,691 contracts it awarded within seven days for verification, Vanguard reports. 

The decision was taken after the failure of the commission to provide evidence of approval of 1,691
contracts out of the entire 1,697 contracts given by the commission between 2014 and 2016.

The committee which was led by Senator Andy Uba, representing Anambra South senatorial district, directed the commission to report with relevant certificates from the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP).

However, the committee also questioned why the commission ran 22 bank accounts before the implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA), as against four approved for the commission by government. 

The committee also demanded the commission paid off its huge debt profile N28.7 billion against the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).

The acting managing director, Mrs Ibim Seminitari, explained that the debt arose from the N23 billion she met on ground and the N5.7 billion penalty slammed on it by FIRS, as the two agencies have already come to an agreement for payment. 

A member of the committee, Bassey Akpan representing Akwa Ibom North-East however accused the NDDC management of deliberate omission but Mrs Seminitari said a total of N23.5 billion had been given to the commission by the federal government in addition to N87.1 billion proceeds made from oil companies.  

“We will try as requested. There were errors in the past issues about award of contracts. We are trying to correct and improve on our standards,” she said. This is not the first time the commission has been faulted by the Nigerian Senate for issues relating to funding. 

Over seven months ago, the Senate committee on Niger Delta revealed that the sum of N3.9 billion was paid for a non-existing contract by the NDDC.

Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, the committee’s chairman who disclosed to journalists in Uyo at the committee’s ongoing oversight function of NDDC projects in the Niger Delta said the amount was paid for a non-existing protect said to be ongoing in Ondo State. 

He also tasked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to ensure it recovers all the money running into several billions of naira allegedly stolen from the commission since inception.

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