By Chioma Obinagwam
The Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has made clarifications over the probe by the Senate (Nigeria’s upper chamber legislature) of its budgets for 2021 and 2022.
Confiance News learnt from a recent statement of clarification from the NDDC Managing Director.
Ogbuku urged the public to avoid jumping to conclusions based on the Senate’s decision and assured them of the NDDC’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
He said the NDDC respects the oversight function of the Senate and is ready to cooperate with the investigation committee. He also appealed to the general public to refrain from making hasty judgments based on Senate’s decision.
In the statement, Dr. Ogbuku clarified that the Senate had not accused the Board and Management of the NDDC of corruption or misappropriation of N1.4 trillion.
He said the Senate only thinks the funds were expended without approval or appropriation by the National Assembly.
He said this misunderstanding could be quickly resolved by providing the requisite documents and explanations.
“The NDDC wishes to clarify that the Senate has not accused the Board and Management of the NDDC of corruption or misappropriation of N1.4 trillion. The Senate only opines that the funds were expended without approval or appropriation by the National Assembly.
This is a misunderstanding that can be easily resolved by providing the necessary documents and explanations,” he said.
He also explained that the delays in submitting the budgets and audited accounts of the NDDC to the National Assembly were due to factors beyond its control.
He said the NDDC had taken measures to address these issues and ensure timely compliance with all statutory requirements.
“The NDDC also wishes to explain that the delays in submitting its budgets and audited accounts to the National Assembly were due to factors beyond its control, such as bureaucratic bottlenecks, and frequent leadership changes.
The NDDC has taken measures to address these issues and ensure timely compliance with all statutory requirements,” he said.
He assured all stakeholders of the NDDC’s dedication to the development of the Niger Delta region and the welfare of its people.
He said the NDDC had delivered thousands of projects across the nine states of the region since its establishment in 2000.
He urged the Senate and the general public to support the NDDC in its mandate of facilitating the rapid, even, and sustainable development of the Niger Delta into a region that is economically prosperous, socially stable, ecologically regenerative, and politically peaceful.
“The NDDC appeals to the general public to refrain from making hasty judgments based on Senate’s decision. The NDDC assures all stakeholders of its dedication to the development of the Niger Delta region and the welfare of its people,” he said.
Confiance News also gathered from Wikipedia (a free online encyclopedia), that the NDDC is a federal government agency established by Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo in the year 2000 with the sole mandate of developing the oil-rich Niger Delta region of Nigeria.
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