Malami: NDDC forensic audit report shows 13,777 projects were compromised

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation (AGF), says the execution of 13,777 projects in the Niger Delta were compromised.

The minister said this on Thursday, while receiving the report on the forensic audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), on behalf of President Muhammadu Buhari.

President Buhari had, in 2019, ordered a forensic audit of the NDDC’s operations from 2001 to 2019.

Kemebradikumo Pondei, the then-acting managing director of the commission, was sacked over allegations of mismanagement of funds, and in December 2020, the president appointed Effiong Akwa as the new head of the agency.

In his speech, Malami also noted that 362 accounts belonging to the NDDC were not properly reconciled.

“The federal government is particularly concerned with the colossal loss occasioned by uncompleted and unverified development projects in the Niger Delta Region, in spite of the huge resources made available to uplift the living standard of the citizens,” he said.

“We have on record over 13,777 projects, the execution of which is substantially compromised. The federal government is also concerned with the multitudes of Niger Delta Development Commission’s bank accounts amounting to 362 and the lack of proper reconciliation of accounts.

“The federal government will, in consequence, apply the law to remedy the deficiencies outlined in the audit report as appropriate.

“This will include, but not limited to, initiation of criminal investigations, prosecution, recovery of funds not properly utilised for the public purposes for which they were meant for, review of the laws to reposition and restructure the NDDC for the efficiency of better service delivery, amongst others.

“In all these instances of actions, legal due processes will strictly be complied with.”