Senate receives fresh allegations against NDDC management

The Nigerian Senate says another whistle-blower has submitted fresh fraud allegations against the Interim Management Committee of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC).

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, Senator Ayo Akinyelure, made this known in an interview with The Punch on Friday in Abuja.

Akinyelure explained that the new allegations are different from the N40bn reckless spending which the NDDC is being investigated for by the National Assembly now.

The Senator said the management of the commission led by acting Managing Director, Kemebradikumo Pondei, and other parties involved will be summoned to appear before the committee next week.

Akinyelure said,

“There is a petition that has just been sent to my committee by the leadership of the Senate.

“I received it on Tuesday. It is about the alleged fraudulent practices of the acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission.

“I will take my time to study the petition. Our committee will invite him as soon as we conclude hearing on the case involving the UBA which is before our committee.

“We will invite the MD to come and explain to the whole world how he allegedly misappropriated billions of funds as the head of the agency.”

Akinyelure explained further that the embattled MD would also answer questions about allegations of contract scam against some federal lawmakers.

He said,

“Pondei will also tell Nigerians about the details of the senators who allegedly took gratification and contracts from him.

“He must come and prove it beyond reasonable doubts. No senator awards contracts. We can only facilitate project allocation for our various constituencies.

“We don’t even know when the executive would advertise those projects.

“Our job is to ensure that the project is executed. If any Senator or House of Representatives member had gone to the NDDC management to take money or contract, we will ask the MD to expose such a person.

“The NDDC should stop blackmailing the entire Senate. We have 109 members in the Senate. We are celebrated Nigerians.

“We were millionaires before we came into the Senate. We had jobs. All the allegations against us are fallacy of the highest order.”