FG probes NDDC over N1trn debt (Corruption at its highest)

Posted by admin Headlines, Niger Delta Friday, July 21st, 2017

By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA—Worried by over the N1 trillion debt owed contractors by the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, the Federal Government has commenced investigations into the activities of the commission with a view to finding out what happened to huge funds it got since inception, 17 years ago.

The Federal Government also announced its intention to clean up the commission, following allegations that some staff of the commission were demanding for percentages before contract payments are made.

Disclosing this, yesterday, in Abuja, Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Pastor Usani Uguru Usani, said that the exercise will include a verification of all projects and resources deployed to the commission since it was created in year 2000.

Usani said that with the commission owing contractors over N1 trillion, the government was determined to find out what happened to the monies given to the commission in the past 17 years.

He pointed out that despite the huge resources that had been allocated to the region in the past 17 years, the area, rich in petroleum resources, remains largely deplorable.

He said: “The region is deplorable and the question is that for all these years that resources had been allocated there, what has been happening and this curiosity leads us to research what is responsible for the situation.

“That led to the knowledge of so much debts without anything to show for it. So we are compelled by circumstances, not by our desire, to know why so much waste had taken place.”

-Vanguardwp_posts