Senate has begun probe of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC over alleged unauthorised spending by Niger- Delta Development Commission (NDDC) for 2021 and 2022 budget estimates. Consequently, the Senate constituted an an ad hoc committee to investigate alleged unauthorised spending by NDDC for 2021 and 2022 budget estimates. Resolution of the Senate was sequel to a motion by Senator Adamu Aliero who raised the alarm of unauthorised spending by the NDDC on its 2021,2022 and 2023 budgets estimates. The Senate stood down the consideration of report of 2023 budgets estimates of the commission.
The motion and objection raised by Aliero against the consideration of the budgets was after reports on three budget estimates of NDDC was presented by the Committee Chairman on Niger Delta Senator Amos Bulus, APC, Gombe South. Aliero told his colleagues that it was was a breach of the constitution by NDDC to engage in expenditure on the budget extimates without approval by the National Assembly. Other Senators who raised concerns over the consideration of the budgets were Senators Seriake Dickson, PDP, Bayelsa West and Olamilekan Adeola, For Adeola, there was an urgent need to carefully look at the 2023 budget estimates of NDDC as clarifications and further information was required on figures presented in the budget.
Also in his remarks, Senator Degi Biobarakuma, urged the Senate to consider the 2023 budget as the budget extimates of the Commission was presented before the National Assembly on time. In his remarks, the President of Senate, Senate Ahmad Lawan who noted that there was no authorised expenditure from 2021 and 2022 budgets of the commission, said, “We are faced with situation where expenditure was done probably for more than six months or probably 80 per cent of the expenditure has been done and we need to know what has happened.” He said the term of reference of the hoc committee was to investigate the financial activities of NDDC in the 2021 and 2022 budget estimates and report back in one week. Consequently, the Senate stood down the consideration of the 2023 budget of the NDDC for further information and clarification on the figures contained in the budget and set up an ad hoc committee to investigate alleged unauthorised financial activities of NDDC for 2021 and 2022 budget estimates. The Committee, which has Senator Yusuf Yusuf (APC-Taraba Central as Chairman, was given one week to turn in its report. Other members of the committee are Senators Seriake Dickson, Uche Ekwunife, Abdullahi Yahaya, Saidu Alkali, Adetumbi Olubunmi and Sadiq Sulaiman.
