September 2, 2021

Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio on Thursday while submitting the Forensic Audit Report on the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) said about 13,000 projects were abandoned in the Region.

The report also revealed that international oil companies owe the commission $4 billion.

Akpabio submitted the report to Mr President through the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, in Abuja.

“The report of the audit committee showed that there are over 13,000 abandoned projects in the Niger Delta and even before the submission of the report some contractors have returned to site on their own and completed about 77 road projects.

“Although the exercise had a checkered history, I thank Mr President and all those who supported and ensured its success”.

He stressed that the exercise was not done to witch-hunt anyone but to ensure that the huge sums of funds committed to the area yearly are justified.

He lamented that the region had remained backwards since 1958 in spite of successive governments efforts through the creation of various interventionist programmes and projects.

Lead Forensic Auditor, Alhaji Kabir Ahmed, in a brief overview of the report, said that the team recommended managerial as well as structural changes, chief of which is the downsizing of the NDDC’s board.

He said to reduce cost the team recommended that members of the team should henceforth be appointed on part time basis.

The appointment of members of the board of the NDDC had been suspended until release of the audit report.

Ahmed also disclosed that oil companies in the country are still in default of their contributions to the Commission.

“We recommended that the government should withdraw the license of any oil company which defaults for a period of three years.

” Also, deduction of 15% ecological fund at source and be paid to the commission because both the federal and state governments have failed to make payments to the commission.

“The team recommended as a measure of effective revenue collections, the Federal Inland Revenue Services should collect funds on behalf of NDDC from oil companies in the country”

Speaking on behalf of President Buhari, Malami said the Federal Government will prosecute those indicted in the report.

He said: “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.

“It is on record that between 2001 and 2019, the Federal Government has approved N3. 3 Trillion as budgetary allocation.

“A total of over N6 trillion was given to the NDDC.

“Consequently, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the engagement of a Lead Forensic Auditor, as well as 16 reputable Audit Firms to conduct the audit exercise.

“The President is delighted that the auditors have now completed this exercise and the Report is today being presented”.