Reps to probe alleged infractions in NDDC, NBET

The House of Representatives yesterday vowed to investigate alleged infractions contained in a six-year audit report on the Niger Delta Development Commission and the Nigeria Bulk Electricity Trading Plc.

The report on the NDDC was from 2013 to 2018 while that on the NBET was from 2017 to 2019. Both were submitted by the Office of the AuditorGeneral of the Federation to the House of Representatives’ Committee on Public Accounts.

The chairman of the committee, Wole Oke, told reporters in Abuja yesterday that the committee would give the reports accelerated deliberations when the House resumes from its annual recess in September.

In the queries, the NDDC is to, among other things, explain the alleged payment of N459.350m as medical check-up expenses to part-time board members, payment of N1.358bn as imprest to executive board members, engagement and payment of N1.58bn to external solicitors without the consent of the Attorney-General of the Federation, award of N3.001bn emergency contracts, payment of N698.1m to some retired generals for regional security surveillance on projects.

Other alleged infractions in the report included payment of N2.5bn for the supply of 3,852 doses of Hepatitis B vaccines and 1570 doses of Typhoid vaccines and supply of Lassa fever kits to NDDC warehouse in Port Harcourt and distribution, transportation and storage was queried by the Auditor General.

Similarly, the committee received from the AuditorGeneral, the report querying the NBET on non-submission of annual audited financial statements for six years 2014 to 2019.