N’Delta Group Disputes NDDC Probe Figures, Demands Review

The Niger Delta Justice Forum (NDJF) has raised questions over the N6 trillion allegedly mismanaged by the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) since inception, demanding a review by the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF), Mr. Abubakar Malami.

Describing the report recently submitted to the federal government as ‘mendacious and dissembling’, the group stated that those who orchestrated it deliberately mismanaged the entire process to mislead the government in order to achieve a predetermined outcome.

Led by its Convener, Bassey Idongesit, the group said the exact amount of funding received by the NDDC from 2001 to 2019 remained a matter of public information and is available in the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation and that of Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI).

It argued that the Niger Delta had received N2.495 trillion since 2001 and not N6 trillion, broken down into N760,165,606,560.32 as federal government contribution, N2,500,000,000.00 as OMPADEC electricity fund and N18,175,000.00 as state government grants.

In addition, it stated that N1,623,690,225,765.07 was contributed by the oil companies, N19,566,957,137.81 was recorded as other income, amounting to a total receipt of N2, 405,940,964,463.20.

The group wondered if the auditors did know the difference between income and approved budget, suggesting that they were probably instructed to engage in deliberate misrepresentation.

“This misinformation is not only misleading, wicked and unconscionable but also inimical to future growth of the Niger Delta region. It is capable of inciting other regions against the Niger Delta now already being perceived as having frittered away a whopping sum of N6 trillion. To this end, we implore you, sir, to verify these figures and urgently correct this callous falsehood,” it insisted.