The Niger Delta Development Commission has littered the region with abandoned projects and a colossal loss, despite receiving more than six trillion naira in eight years the government has said.
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, declared this on Thursday while receiving the forensic audit report of the NDDC from the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, in Abuja on Thursday.
Malami received the report on President Muhammadu Buhari, who ordered the forensic audit.
“It is on record that between 2001 and 2019, the Federal Government has approved N3, 375, 735,776,794.93 as budgetary allocation and N2,420,948,894,191.00 as Income from Statutory and Non Statutory Sources, which brings the total figure to the sum of approximately N6 trillion given to the Niger Delta Development Commission,” Malami said.
“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.
“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 lack of proper reconciliation of accounts.”
Malami noted that the call for the audit by the people of the Niger Delta Region arose from the huge gaps between resources invested in the region vis-a-vis the huge gap in infrastructural, human and economic development.
“The essence of the forensic audit is to ensure probity and accountability in the use of public funds. It is against this background that the Federal Government will without hesitation strategically implement all aspects of the audit exercise that will promote probity and greater prosperity for the Niger Delta Region and Nigeria as a whole,” he said.
Malami gave the assurance that the forensic audit report and the recommendations would therefore be critically analysed for necessary actions and implementation.
“It is against this background that the federal government will without hesitation strategically implement all aspects of the audit exercise that will promote probity and greater prosperity for the Niger Delta Region and Nigeria as whole,” he added.
“We owe it a duty to the people of the Niger Delta Region to improve their standard of living through the provision of adequate infrastructural and socio-economic development.
He said that the welfare and socio-economic inclusion of the Niger Delta Region is paramount to the development and security of the region and by extension the Country.
“Funds spent on development activities should as a consequence promote political and socio-economic stability in the Region”.
“It is in the broader context of the foregoing developments that the President recently signed into Law the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) which has been a contentious issue over the years for successive Governments.
“The PIA will bring about the prudence and accountability in the Petroleum Sector and to give a sense of participation and ownership to the Host communities”.
He said it was therefore important for the Federal Government and the public to be properly informed of what has been spent and how that has been spent.
