The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) says it is interrogating some directors of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) in connection with N5.474 billion meant for halting the spread of COVID-19 in the region, but was allegedly diverted.
The amount had been voted for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers in the nine oil-producing states in the Niger Delta region.
Mrs. Azuka C. Ogugua, spokesperson for the agency, said in a on Saturday that agency was also probing the claim by the NDDC that it made payments for foreign training during the period of the COVID-19 full lockdown.
It said the commission will also probe the failure of the NDDC to pay the entitlements to students on foreign scholarships.
The statement reads: “Some directors of NDDC were interrogated at the commission’s headquarters recently after months of intelligence gathering, following the receipt of petitions from Nigerians on alleged illegalities and contracts fraud by some officials of the agency.
“Top officials of the agency are being investigated for their complicity in an alleged diversion of N5.474 billion meant for the purchase of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for health workers, handling the Covid-19 pandemic in the nine states of NDDC.
“The commission is also investigating the payment of millions of naira to staff of the agency for foreign trainings during the Covid-19 full lockdown which were never attended, as well as non-payment of entitlements to students on foreign scholarships.
“Other allegations being investigated by ICPC include the selling of back-dated contract award letters for projects and awards of contracts that were not captured in the budget of the NDDC.
“ICPC had already retrieved relevant documents with which to continue investigations towards the recovery of diverted funds and prosecution of breaches of the law.”
