NDDC brought out N10bn to fight me – Wike alleges

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike has said that he is not surprised by the recent revelations about the activities of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) as the commission allegedly brought out N10 billion to fight him during the 2019 election.

According to Wike, the agency has since deviated from its original mandate and has become a cash cow for some corrupt politicians.

“I have said before and it is very clear; my concern is everybody knows that NDDC was set up for the development of the region,” he told reporters on Tuesday.

“Unfortunately, they have turned it to a different thing; NDDC is a cash cow for politicians. In my own election, NDDC brought N10 billion cash to fight against me,” he said.

Wike was reacting to the emerging revelations of corrupt practices in the NDDC.

The Senate and the House of Representatives are currently probing the fraud running into billions of Naira in the agency.

The fraud was said to have been perpetrated by the Interim Management Committee (IMC) of the NDDC between February and May 2020.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Senate has revealed how the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) management shared approximately N5 billion for “medicals”.

This is contained in a report by the Ad-hoc committee which probed the multi-billion Naira scandal in NDDC.

Senator Olubunmi Adetunmbi (APC – Ekiti North) chaired the committee.

Senators Abdulfatai Buhari (APC – Oyo North); Chukwuka Utazi (PDP – Enugu North); Ibrahim Hadeija (APC – Jigawa North); Biobarakuma Wangaha (APC – Bayelsa East); Jika Dauda Haliru (APC – Bauchi Central); and Mohammed Tanko Almakura (APC – Nasarawa South) were members.

The disbursements, paid into individual accounts, were made in March during the nationwide lockdown.

“Payment to all the 1,401 staff who received the allowance was made on 16 March, 2020,” the report said.

“The three members of the Interim Management Committee received the highest amount of N14.2m each. Two other people, namely Evan Caroline Nagbo and Ms Cecilia Akintomide took N12,387,500 each, while Peter Uwa Edieya was paid N10,340,000,” it read.

Acting MD, Kemebradikumo Pondei, and two executive directors got N14.2m each.

Four other members of staff got about N8m each, while 140 got an average of N7m each.

Furthermore, 75 members of staff received N6m each, while 153 were paid N5.5m.

Another 4 members of staff got between N4.1m and N4.8m, while 7 others received about N3m each.

Additionally, 804 members of staff got between N2.4m and N2.9m each.

Fifteen of them got N7m, while one collected N5.2m.

The remaining collected between N375,000 and N550,000 each.

However, the management paid N114.9m as a supplementary medical allowance to 26 staff members.

Pondei had stated that those who got “emergency contracts” were scared of the ongoing forensic audit.

He made the claim in reaction to the Senate’s disclosure that IMC members get 20 – 30 percent of contract sums before contractors are paid.

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