The former Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Joi Nunieh on Friday alleged that the ongoing forensic audit of the agency is the biggest fraud of the decade.
The former boss of the commission made the allegation while appearing before the House of Representatives Committee on NDDC investigating contract scams in the agency via electronic communication.
Also in her submission, she alleged that the 9 indigenous firms contracted by the current board are not certified auditors implying that they are a fraud.
The House of Representatives has summoned Minister of Niger Delta Affairs Senator Godswill Akpabio and the Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).
They are to appear unfailingly before the investigative Committee on Monday to answer questions on allegations against them.
The House Committee on NDDC issued the summon at the continuation of its investigative hearing into the alleged missing N40 billion from NDDC funds.
Earth shaking Revelations galore as reps commence probe
This is coming barely 24hours after President Muhammadu Buhari cautioned Government agencies to respect the National Assembly and proper and well-coordinated probe should be carried out on the commission.
Kolawole Johnson, a critical stakeholder at the panel revealed that a media consultancy job worth N.7bn was allegedly awarded to an engineering firm.
He also told the panel that a healthcare contract was awarded to a logistics company worth N35m.
The panel was also informed that these contracts were awarded on the 22nd of April and Presidential approval was given on the 30th of April.
Account of Kolawole’s Submission at the panel:
I know corruption fights back, I know they can bundle me and send me to jail easily but I decided to be the face of this campaign because we have professionals working with us, auditors, accountants they sat with every document before we came out.
Number three, HR standard they got the contract for emergency consultancy for the procurements for social relief part for distressed and vulnerable people across the nine Niger Delta states.
The contract was for N1.246348650. The first mobilization was paid on the 22nd of April and they got 186,952,297.5.
We are not going to question this because we don’t know the part they are going to supply. The only thing we have on this is the fact that it was given and paid for when there was no approval of the president.
Then two, this company is also a transport company that may not count as such but the only thing we have against it was that it was given without president approval.
Entails Building and Logistics, this company was given the contract for emergency consultancy for the provision of refresher training for caregivers for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus and the contract sum was 268,481,250. 15% mobilisation was paid on the 22nd of April representing 40,272,187.5. The batch number is 13659 and batch number 13630.
After tax was removed, the company received in his account 35,000,238.164. Ordinarily we should have left this pass without looking deep into it but the fault again like others was that it was awarded without the approval and it was denied on national television.
Again Tails Building, this company is not a health-related company, this is a logistic company but it was given a contract to train health care workers or care givers.
We learned that this company who sublet, as a matter of fact I didn’t want to go into these things but Dr Cairo that I was privilege to see to on national television said one Dr Ufuoma was handling this project going around the country and I know that Dr Ufuoma did not get this contract directly, it was sublet to her by Tails Buildings and Logistics Company and she has only collected 15million naira even when they have paid Tails 35million naira. She has gone to many of the states except two states.
Perhaps the only thing we have against this will not be the non-implementation but the fact that it was awarded without approval. We may not be able to question the sum because our accountant said it was not out of place.
I know her, she is a professional and she will do a very good job, not speaking for her.
We have alarmed, we wrote this national assembly sometimes back, not too long ago that the commission should be directed to stop payment.
