Return N4.923bn, Senate Orders NDDC Interim Management

The Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC)  has been ordered to refund N4.923 billion spent as extra budgetary expenditure by the Nigerian Senate.

The Senate gave the order Thursday during it plenary session. It also ordered the IMC as well as all staff and contractors who benefitted from the extra budgetary spendings to refund the total sum paid to them back to the coffers of the NDDC.

The Senate had approved the recommendations of its Ad-hoc committee on N40 billion fraud allegations against the NDDC/ IMC presented and read at plenary by the committee Chairman, Senator Olubunmi Adetumbi.

A breakdown of the spending shows the following breakdown, N85.7 million for overseas travel to the United Kingdom; N105.5 million on scholarship grants; N164.2 million for union members’ trip to Italy; N1.96 billion for procurement of Lassa fever kit; N1.12 billion on public Communications and N1.49 billion spent on COVID-19 palliatives.

The upper legislative chamber also mandated its Committee on Ethics and Privileges headed by Senator Patrick Akinyelure to investigate allegations of blackmail by NDDC against members of the National Assembly
The committee, according to the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, has four weeks to report its findings at Senate plenary.