NDDC speaks on invitation by EFCC
- Says, we’re committed to prudent management of resources
- There is no Financial Impropriety at NDDC
- No management staff of NDDC was detained by the EFCC
- No management staff was questioned under caution
- NDDC stands ready to respond to queries
Emmanuel Ukudolo l Monday, June 17, 2019
PORT HARCOURT, Rivers, Nigeria – The Management of the Niger Delta Development Commission(NDDC) has said it is committed to prudent management of resources and that there is no any financial impropriety in the commission contrary to allegations.
In a statment, Director, Corporate Affairs(NDDC), Mr. Charles Obi Odili said the commission has in the past five days been inaundated with reports on management of the commission, adding that while some reported known facts, others quoted figures of rediculous cash withdrawals, which he said are impossible given present financial regulations on cash withdrawals.
“As a matter of fact, there has been no improper cash withdrawal or financial impropriety at the commission. If anything, the current administration has robustly implemented strict financial regulations and channeled the commission’s scarce resources to deliver on its core mandate of intervening in the development of the Niger Delta”, he said.
According to him, as a responsible public organisation, the NDDC owes stakeholders and the Nigerian public a duty to set out the facts, stressing “management of the commission was invited by the EFCC to answer questions arising from petitions by some groups; the management of the commission led by the Acting Managing Director, Prof Nelson Braimbaifa, the Acting Executive Director, Finance, Dr Chris Amadi and the Acting Executive Director Projects, Dr Samuel Adjogbe, responded to the invitation and met with EFCC officials in Abuja on Monday June 10 and Tuesday, June 11; the management of the commission addressed the issues raised by EFCC and were asked to go. The team returned to their desks in Port Harcourt by June 12”, he said, adding that at no point was any of the management staff of the commission detained by the EFCC nor was any of them questioned under caution.
He noted that under financial regulations implemented by the current government, certain infractions are simply not possible. “For example, no entity, individual, private or public, can withdraw more than N10 million from the bank at any point. To withdraw N2. 8 billion as alleged in the publications would have meant someone going to the bank 280 times in one day to do so!
“Given that the commission’s funds are warehoused with the Central Bank of Nigeria under the Treasury Single Account (TSA), such withdrawals would not have been allowed.
“All over the world, law enforcement agencies seek answers whenever there are petitions or complaints against public organisations. In the case of our commission, with a critical mandate touching on the lives of people across nine states, those petitions would always come. The EFCC search for such answers in the commission is not out of place. This search in no way implies guilt on the part of the commission’s officials or impropriety.
“The Niger Delta Development Commission as a responsible public organisation stands ready to respond to enquiries by relevant government agencies and stakeholders in the Niger Delta on its operations.
“The current management restates its unalloyed commitment to the prudent management of the commission’s resources and the implementation of robust financial regulations to safeguard public funds in its custody”, he said.
