The allegations of corrupt practices in the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is assuming a new twist as members of the House of Representatives have lashed at Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, Accountant-General of the Federation and the Auditor-General of the Federation for allegedly approving the spending of N81.5 billion on an audit of the agency between January and June 2020.
The lawmakers at an investigative hearing on the ongoing forensic audit of the NDDC had discovered that a whopping N81.5 billion was expended on the audit of the agency by the Interim Management Committee, IMC.
The House Committee on NDDC had grilled the CBN, Accountant-General of the Federation, Auditor-General of the Federation, and the Bureau of Public Procurement BPP over the manner in which the huge funds were spent by the managers of the audit exercise.
Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, in an opening remark at the hearing, said that the House is putting all its weight on the investigation because of the role of the NDDC as an interventionist agency.
He noted that despite mudslinging, the probe by the National Assembly of the NDDC will make the agency to be more focused in delivering its mandate.
Similarly, members of the the Committee said that the investigation will lead to a total turn around in fortune of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
The Committee had revealed that N21.5 bn was expended on community relations, N1.3bn on condolences,N122.9 m on Covid-19, N486 m on impress account, N490 m on legal services, N900 m on maintenance and other huge amounts making up the total sum.
The lawmakers further said that the CBN and the Accountant-General had confirmed that the N81.5 billion was expended on the audit of the agency and the audit was done against provisions of the Public Procurement Act.
They also added that the huge sum was not captured in the agency’s 2020 Budget and anything not captured in the annual budget of a Government agency is extra-budgetary spending.
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The lawmaker had queried the Auditor-General of the Federation Mr. Anthony Ayine who was represented by Mr Sabo Mohammed, Director of Funds asking if the forensic auditors are supposed to be registered and he spoke in the affirmative.
He however told the committee that the Auditor-General of the Federation is not thej direct auditor of the agency as Section 85 of the 1999 Constitution prevents the office from carrying out such audits.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
