NDDC SET TO EXPOSE LOOTERS AS FORENSIC AUDIT TAKES OFF FULLY

TRACKING_____The forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, is
aimed at restoring sanity and prudence in the management of the
Commission, and will ensure the rapid development of the Niger Delta
region.

Speaking while handing over the preliminary report and documents of the
verification exercise to the lead consultants of the audit, Olumuyiwa
Basiru & Co., at the NDDC headquarters in Port Harcourt, the Acting
Managing Director, Professor Kemebradikumo Pondei, disclosed that over
8,000 projects were captured throughout the nine states.

The NDDC Chief Executive Officer said that the report, containing
contract documents covering projects captured during the NDDC’s
verification exercise, marked the take-off of the critical next phase of
the forensic audit. Present at the ceremony were the Acting Executive
Director, Finance and Administration, Chief Ibanga Bassey Etang and the
Acting Executive Director Projects, Dr Cairo Ojougboh.

Pondei noted that one of the key mandates given to the Interim
Management Committee, IMC, was to prepare the grounds for the Forensic
Audit of the activities of the Commission for the period 2001 to 2019.

He said: “Between January 20th and February 7th 2020, the Commission
(under the previous Interim Management Committee) carried out a
verification exercise in which Contractors with claims of genuine
contractual relationship with the NDDC were invited to come with
relevant documents supporting their claims, for verification.

“In all, over 8,000 projects were captured during the periods of the
capturing/verification exercise and documents submitted were captured
against pre-defined criteria on a data sheet per project (Contract
Verification Checklist) which were thereafter uploaded on the
Commission’s server and cloud-based system.”

The NDDC boss thanked President Buhari for listening to the pleas of
governors of the Niger Delta states and other stakeholders to conduct a
forensic audit on the commission, noting: “This audit is not for
auditing sake. It is an exercise which will change the trajectory of the
region. It is an objective undertaking to account for the resources
available to the Commission over the years.”

“It will enable us bring to account those who misappropriated the
commonwealth. It will equip us with the relevant insight to institute
procedures and processes to guarantee that the Commission realizes the
vision of its founders. That vision can be interpreted as the rapid
development of the Niger Delta to create an economy that will serve the
needs of its people long after the oil resources are gone.”

Pondei said: “Since the forensic audit was announced, the attacks on the
interim management committee as the Hon Minister has reached fever
pitch. Those who took part in the grand conspiracy to loot the
commonwealth are jittery that their misdeeds will come to light. We wish
we could sympathise with them. But it could have occurred to them that a
day of reckoning will come. The fear of the impunity of their past
misdeeds being brought to light is causing panic. In fact, the vultures
are shivering. Let us place on record that no amount of intimidation,
campaign of falsehood and ‘breakdancing’ will abort this exercise.

“We wish to commend the Minister of the Niger Delta Affairs and Chairman
of the Presidential Monitoring Committee on the Commission, Senator
Godswill Akpabio, for his doggedness and determination to bring this
exercise to light. His uncommon passion for the development of the
region is already changing the narrative of attitude on the part of
other stakeholders.”

Responding, the Principal Partner and Lead Consultant for the forensic
audit, Mr Kabiru Ahmed, lamented that the amount of resources poured in
to the NDDC over the years did not match the development recorded over
the period.

He said: “Hopefully after the exercise, a new chapter would be opened
for the region’s rapid economic development, as well as reversing the
failures recorded in order to recover these resources recoverable and
plug the gaps and stop the waste that is keeping the region under
developed.

“The forensic audit, therefore, should be seen as an opportunity and not
a witch-hunt, it is an important process that will apart from righting
the wrongs that kept the region in penury and under development, it will
at the end provide a strong base upon which a new Niger delta
development commission will be built.”

He said that work on the project commenced since January 2020, stating:
“It is our belief that at the end of this forensic audit exercise in
nine months’ time, a new development agency will eventually emerge. This
is the vision and mission of the forensic audit exercise. It is a rescue
mission that must be allowed to succeed for the betterment of the good
people of the Niger delta region.”

Speaking on the work plan for the forensic audit, the Managing Partner
of the lead Consultants, Mr Olumuyiwa Basiru, said that the activities
would be carried out in two parts with several stages. He said that the
final report would be submitted by the lead consultant to Mr. President,
through the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs in January 2021.