The Niger Delta Development Commission ( NDDC) on Tuesday, August 4, 2020 said the scholars of the Commission abroad disturbed over non- payment of their stipends and fees will get paid by the end of this week, noting that President Muhammadu Buhari had given an order to make the payment with immediate effect.
Speaking on the delay in the payment of scholars, the Director, Corporate Affairs, NDDC, Mr. Charles Odili said; ” the delay in the remittance of the fees was caused by the sudden death of Chief Ibanga Etang, the then Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, EDFA, of the Commission in May.”
“Under the commission’s finance protocol only the Executive Director (finance), and the Executive Director (Projects) can sign for the release of funds from the commission’s domiciliary account with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN”.
“With the death of Chief Etang, the remittance has to wait for the appointment of a new EDFA”.
Mr Odili also said that it is in support of the list released by the Minister for Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio indicating Delta leaders as contractors in the commission saying what the minister release was just few out of many.
Odili who noted that the commission has the details of contracts and proxies used to collect them, as well as the 250 contracts awarded in a day all in the name of National Assembly members.
“The one submitted by Senator Akpabio was not compiled by the minister but came from the files in the commission. ”
“The Interim Management Committee IMC, of the commission stands by the list which came from files, is already in the possession of the forensic auditors. It is not an Akpabio list but the NDDC list. The list is part of the volume of 8,000 documents already handed over to the forensic auditors. ”
He however said that prominent indigenes of the Niger Delta names were used to secure contracts noting that the ongoing forensic audit would unearth those behind the contracts.
He also urge prominent indigens of Niger Delta whose names were on the list not to panic because it is obvious that some people use their names to secure a contract for themselves.
Olaoluwa Adekunle
