TheCable

Godswill Akpabio, minister of Niger Delta affairs, says President Muhammadu Buhari is still studying the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) forensic audit report.

Akpabio disclosed this in a statement signed by Babayo Ardo, permanent secretary in the ministry, on Tuesday in Abuja.

In September, the minister submitted the final report to the president — covering 13,777 contracts from 2001 to 2019 at a value of N3,274,206,032,213.24.

According to the statement, Akpabio said Buhari is determined to reposition the NDDC after 19 years of rot.

He added that the board of the commission will be constituted at the appropriate time, upon the recommendation of the president.

“Part of the strategy to reposition the NDDC was the recent setting up of a forensic audit to understand what went wrong despite the resources committed to the commission over the years,” he said.

“The report of that audit has just been submitted to Mr. President, who is studying it to come up with a formula for a commission fit for purpose.”

The minister also noted that it is not in the interest of the region to stampede the government into aborting the reform process, noting that Buhari has demonstrated immense love for the Niger Delta and its people.

President Buhari had, in 2019, ordered a forensic audit of NDDC’s operations, which uncovered allegations of mismanagement of funds.

Kemebradikumo Pondei, the then-acting managing director of the commission, was sacked over allegations of mismanagement of funds — and in December 2020, the president appointed Effiong Akwa as the new head of the agency.

Since the dissolution of the previous board in January 2020, a new board is yet to be constituted.